Hijack Shorts
by M-iikado
Summary: Collection of Hijack/Frostcup one shots, including a bunch of AUs that didn't make it into multi-chaptered stories. Rating and genre will change depending on the chapter.
1. Complicated

**Hey guys! This story is a collection of Hijack/Frostcup one-shots I write to catch a break in-between chapters of my more serious stories. You'll find a bunch of different AUs I had in mind that I couldn't turn into multi-chaptered stories, but still wanted to write anyways. They will also include prompts that weren't related to any particular song, and therefor couldn't make it into my ****_Hijack Music Drabbles_**** fic.**

**Important****: If you're ever interested, I'm ****accepting AUs or short prompts**** for those stories. However, I'm starting college again soon and I'll always prioritize my "serious" fics, so don't worry if it takes a while for me to write.**

**Anyway, thanks for reading, I hope you'll enjoy those little snippets! Please let me know what you thought of it, and if there's anything you'd like to see! Thanks and enjoy!**

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**ONESHOT 01: Complicated**

**Rating****: T**

**Genre****: Romance + Drama/Comfort**

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_Jack's heart stopped for a second, as the breath he was holding got caught in his throat. His palms started sweating nervously as he stared at the brunet in front of him, trying to grasp what he'd just said. The words were fuzzy, incoherent. The boy couldn't find any concrete meaning in them, and it terrified him._

_Fear. That's all Jack could think of at that moment. He was scared, he wanted to be elsewhere, anywhere. _

_« I–I don't... »_

_Barely had those words left his lips, he saw the frame of the other boy crumble in defeat; His smile vanished, his eyes became dulled and teary. _

_Jack was suffocating. He took a step back, and another, until he was running, away from the boy, away from the fear, and deep into the woods._

Jack sprung out of bed, his eyes shot wide open. He was sweaty, his bare back sticking to the bed sheets. Leaning his forehead against his knees, he sighed.

He'd been having that nightmare every night.

Crawling out of bed, and stepping under the freezing water of his morning shower, Jack closed his eyes, trying to focus on the dream he kept having.

It wasn't exactly a nightmare, per say. It was more of a hazy vision from his past, from ten years ago. A fragment of his life as a little boy, when his life had been completely over thrown by seven simple words.

«_ I think I'm in love with you_ »

Hiccup had been his neighbor and childhood friend ever since he could remember. The two of them had met by chance one day, when Jack was 9 and Hiccup was 5. Despite their obvious differences, they had a lot in common and had soon become inseparable.

But all that had changed when, eight years after their first meeting, Hiccup had suddenly confessed.

Jack had been caught off guard, scared out of his mind, and had done the only thing he could think of at the time; he ran away. He turned his back to his best friend, stuttered a pathetic excuse for an apology, and ran as far and as fast as his feet could take him.

Coincidentally, it was around that time that he had to move away, and so he never saw Hiccup again after that fated afternoon.

Jack felt sick when he looked into the mirror, his towel hanging from his waist. Thinking back on it now, he had acted cowardly, afraid of his friend's feelings and, most of all, his own.

You couldn't be haunted every night by the same face if you didn't hold strong feelings towards that person, right?

So, yes, as cliché as that sounded, it had taken a blatant betrayal on his side and ten years of self-loathing for Jack to realize that he had been in love with his childhood friend all along.

Sighing, the white-haired boy threw on some clothes and walked out of his apartment, dead-set on using his day off work to clean his head and put that horrible dream behind him.

Walking down the streets of Burgess, Jack settled for an outdoor coffee shop, and found his mind wondering back to the kid in his dream. He hadn't heard from Hiccup since that incident, but he often wondered what had become of him.

Sometimes, he even saw things or people on the street that reminded him of the boy. Like how that one stranger on the other side of the road had the same hair color, or the same eyes, or the same crooked teeth and freckled cheeks, or the same… prosthetic leg?

Jack's eyes shot wide open as he jumped out of his chair. Before common sense could kick in, he was chasing the stranger down the street, grabbing his wrist and spinning him around.

And there they were; Chestnut hair, sun-kissed freckled cheeks, and unmistakably green eyes opened wide in surprise. Ten years later, there he was…

« Hiccup? » Jack asked, his voice shaking almost as much as his hand, still clasped to the other's wrist.

The man raised an eyebrow as he recognized the nickname. « Do I know you? » he asked.

Jack couldn't blame the boy for not recognizing him. Since their last encounter, he had grown a foot taler, had bleached his hair snow-white and was now wearing vivid blue contacts over his naturally brown eyes.

He was a completely different person. Hiccup, on the other hand, hadn't changed one bit. He had grown quite a bit, maybe, but he was still the same scrawny-looking boy Jack had known as a child.

Snapping out of his daze, Jack realized that the boy was in fact waiting for an answer.

« Err, I'm Jack, remember? »

Hiccup's eyes widened, and the white-haired teen thought he saw fear cloud over them for a second as the boy stiffened, and pulled on his wrist to free himself from Jack's grasp.

« Sorry, you have the wrong guy » he lied, and turned around to walk away.

Jack's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. He wasn't mistaken, this was Hiccup, the same Hiccup from years ago, _his _Hiccup. And his reaction spoke volumes.

« Wait! » he called, catching up with the brunet again, grabbing his shoulder.

« What do you want from me, Jack? » Hiccup spat angrily, spinning around to glare at the boy.

« So it is you! » Jack couldn't help the grin that spread on his lips.

« Of course it's me! What are you doing here? »

« I live here »

« Just my luck » the brunet groaned, rubbing his temples and hiding his face in his hand.

« What do you mean? »

« It means I don't want to talk to you, Jack » and with that, he walked away.

Jack caught up with him again, desperate of find some answers. « Are you mad at me? » he asked, following the boy closely behind.

« Are you kidding me? » Hiccup stopped suddenly, causing Jack to run into his back. The brunet turned around furiously, glaring daggers « Do you not remember how our last encounter went? Did it mean that little to you? Because, to me, this wasn't a particularly fond memory that I like to recall, thank you very much. »

« Listen, Hic » Jack stared, lowering himself so he was at eye-level with the boy « I know how you— »

« You don't know anything, Jack! » Hiccup spat « Do you have any idea how humiliated I was that day? When you just up and left? Do you ever think of how shameful I was when you felt so disgusted that you actually _moved out_? We had been friends for eight years, Jack, _eight years_! And yet I meant so little to you that you didn't even bother to hear me out and give me a proper answer! » Hiccup glared again, but his eyes showed more pain than anger. « So, yes, I am still mad at you. And if you have any consideration for my feelings, you'll stay away from me »

Jack clenched his fist, grabbing the brunet's hand as he was about to leave.

« Do you think this was easy for me? » he yelled « You were my best friend, Hiccup, you were the person that mattered the most to me! And then all of a sudden you just dropped a bombshell on me! I was seventeen, I didn't know better, and I freaked out! » he let go of the other's hand, running his fingers in his hair and pulling on his white locks « I acted like an ass, I see it now, but what did you want me to do, huh? »

« To _care_, Jack! » Hiccup spat « That's all I asked for! For you to show that I mattered at least enough to give and simple yes-or-no answer! » He took a deep breath « But clearly, I didn't » Bitting his lips, he added « Listen, none of that matters anymore, just leave me be, all right? »

« I can't! » Jack screamed, throwing his hands in the air « Can't you see that? This has been killing me for over ten years, and now that you're here I just want to make things right! »

« _Why_? » Hiccup hissed « Why can't you just forget about it? »

« Because _I love you_! »

Hiccup was stunned to silence, eyes wide and stuck to Jack as the man started fidgeting, realizing what he had just blurted out in the heat of the moment.

« I—I loved you when we were kids » he said, softly, looking down at his feet « Although I didn't know it back then, and that's probably what freaked me out so much when you confessed. You finally put a name on the feelings I had been holding towards you, and I didn't know how to handle it. I freaked out and left, but then I was forced to move out and I— » he stopped himself, realizing he was rambling nonsense. Running his hand in his hair, he spoke again « It took me a while to understand it, but I was in love with you ten years ago when we were kids, and… » Hesitantly, he brushed his fingers against Hiccup's, still not looking up « And honestly I think I might still be in love with you today »

Jack finally gathered the courage to look up. Hiccup was staring at him with his eyes wide and his mouth opened. He seemed completely out of it, and Jack felt his heart sink in his stomach, realizing that was probably how the brunet had felt all those years ago.

« You were the most important person in my life, Hiccup » Jack said, lightly grabbing the boy's hand by the fingers « And I know I messed up, but even after ten years I can't get you out of my head, and I just want to make it up to you » he squeezed lightly « _Please _let me make it up to you »

All of Jack's hopes dropped when he got no answer from the boy, just and empty stare and an opened mouth. His shoulders dropped, and he was about to turn around when he felt Hiccup's fingers squeeze his own. When he turned around, the brunet was looking at him, his cheeks reddened.

« If you really want to make it up to me, you can always buy me a cup of coffee » he muttered, looking away shyly.

Jack felt a smile spread on his lips, and he laced his fingers with the boy's, using his free hand to brush over his cheek.

« Tell you what » he chuckled « How about I buy you a cup of coffee for every date I missed during those ten years, okay? »

« All right »

Hiccup was about to turn around when Jack pulled on his hand, pulling him back against his chest. A hand lifted the brunet's chin as firm and cold lips pressed gently against soft, warm ones. Hiccup's eyes snapped open, but before he could process what was happening, Jack had pulled away, pressing their forehead together.

« Hiccup » he whispered, a genuine smile finding its way on his lips « Sorry it took me ten years to do that »

Hiccup laughed softly, grabbing the other's collar and pulling him down in another kiss. « Yeah well » he whispered against his lips « It was worth the wait »

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**AN****: There you go! I know this particular story was a bit weird, I just had parts of the dialogs in mind and needed to build something around that! I hope you still enjoyed it!**

**Please let me know if you liked it, and don't hesitate to suggest prompts for future one shots! If you also feel like suggesting a specific song, please review on my ****_Hijack Music Drabbles_**** fic instead!**

**Thanks for reading, take care! **


	2. Love At First Sight

**Hey guys! M-iikado here with a new piece of writing! It's nothing much, really, but I hope it will at least help you wait for the next proper chapter (more on that below). Also I get weirdly introspective when I'm sleep-deprived. This is the result of a conversation I had with a friend not too long ago.**

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**ONESHOT 02: Love At First Sight**

**Rating: K+**

**Genre: Romance**

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Jack Frost did not believe in love at first sight.

He didn't believe in the pop song-like romance (the ones with the catchy tune) that hit you like a bus when you least expected it. He didn't believe in the teen-movie-like scenes where you saw the love of your life from across the room, where time slowed and you _knew_.

Those kinds of love were nothing but make-believes, pretty frauds disguising themselves to make you think they were the real thing.

When he was younger, his mother sometimes compared those loves to the cheap-looking fake flowers she used to buy at the one-dollar store (she was terrible at gardening, his mother). She often held one between her fingers, tapped it softly on little Jack's nose (gods, did it tickle) and said that it was easy to get it wrong when you weren't paying attention.

Those flowers were pretty enough, and looked almost convincing if you didn't look too closely. They were easy to find, easy to take care off, and they looked nice right away. But they would never be as genuine and valuable as the flowers that waited for spring and took their time to blossom.

And so, Jack didn't believe in love at first sight.

To him, the only real, genuine Love (the one with a capital L) came patiently, un-rushed. It waited for spring and took its time to blossom.

You didn't just wake up, one morning, head-over-heels in love with that one person. No, you fell slowly, softly, without even realizing it.

First, there were the things everyone could see; the colour of their eyes (a soft shade of forest green), the outlines of their face (with nose like a small-ish potato and the big round ears), the way they smiled (slightly crooked, with the buck-teeth showing between thin lips), or the feeling of their hair (a bit shaggy, and always getting in their eyes).

Then, came the little habits you only took in after spending enough time with them; how they spoke (nasally, with hand-movements too wide that often knocked over nearby glasses), how they laughed (snort-like giggles that came from the back of their throat), how they talked (with always a hint of sarcasm and self-derision).

And finally, there were the little quirks and details you couldn't notice unless you were looking very closely (like how they scrunched their nose when reading, or let their tongue poke out when they were focused).

That was why you couldn't fall in love at first sight. You had to fall in love with all those little things, one at the time. You didn't fall for a person as a whole, you fell for every individual pieces that made them who they were (and that took quite some time).

So Jack did not believe in love at first sight.

That's why, when he saw the brunet boy (with the shaggy hair and the forest green eyes) waving from across the hall (his smile crooked and showing buck-teeth between thin lips), he knew that his heart wasn't racing (and his hands sweating a bit, too) because of a cheap meaningless love that wasn't genuine and valuable.

It was because he was head-over-heels for all those little things that made the boy who he was (even though that meant going through sarcastic banters once in a while, he didn't mind much).

Because it wasn't love at first sight, but it was so much _better_.

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**AN****: There you go! This was a bit weird and nothing actually happened, but I hope you still enjoyed reading! Please let me know what you thought, and if I should try more stories like this one!**

**Also, on a more important note; I've been delaying the updates for my fic, Megalomania, but this time I have a good reason (other than because I'm a piece of shit). College is a mess, so I'm catching up on my classes, and I've also been tweaking the storyboard for the rest of the fic. Turns out I didn't like where it was going, so I had to move the chapters around a bit. Don't worry, though, I should update soon (and I might add something here, like a Halloween special ;D)**

**Thanks again for reading! xxx**


	3. Halloween

**Hey guys! Long time no see! Sorry for taking so long, college has been hell lately, and I barely managed to finish this story before Halloween! So, there you go; a little Halloween-themed fic, although nothing scary (at all, I mean really)**

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**ONESHOT 03: Halloween**

**Rating: K+**

**Genre: Romance**

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Hiccup usually wasn't one to attend parties. Be it the obnoxious, loud ones with drinking and smoking involved or the quiet, movie-night kind of parties with only a handful of close friends, the teen had always preferred staying peacefully in his room, reading a book, or having his butt kicked at Mario Kart by his little brother, Toothless.

But not this time.

This time, Astrid had personally threatened to rip out his throat if he didn't show up. It didn't help that she was hosting, either, which meant that he couldn't lie about knowing no one there. She had even pulled the "best friend" card (and, gods, he hated her for that), saying that she genuinely needed him there with her.

Hiccup knew that was a blatant lie, of course. Astrid had always been part or the popular crowd at school, and that popularity had only increased when she had joined the lacrosse team last year.

Truly, Hiccup always wondered why she kept hanging out with him, when she obviously could find better company than a stuck-up, sarcastic, socially awkward know-it-all of a nerd. But not once had the blonde girl ditched him for more interesting or open people, and he felt like he owed her for that (she did make a point to often remind him of that, too).

That's why he had showed up at her Halloween party that night, dressed up in a shaggy, oversized Viking costume that matched her own. There wasn't much a competition between the two, costume-wise, though. Hiccup's ample green shirt, brown pants and fur vest and boots were of no match to her skull-crested skirt and shoulder pads. Completed with a bloody axe (a real one she had gotten as a present from her dad), she looked exactly like a Nordic Goddess descended straight from Valhalla. On the other hand, with his metallic horned helmet too big for him that constantly fell over his eyes, Hiccup looked more like the typical runt of the litter, the one that would probably have gotten shunned by the entire village.

True to herself, Astrid had come up with the charming title of "Hiccup the Useless" as a fitting Viking name for him.

After maybe half-an-hour of failed socialising attempts on his side, Hiccup had given up on trying to act like a regular teenager amongst Astrid's friends, and had decided to take a walk outside.

So there he was, standing in the girl's garden, away from the other sweaty teens inside, getting hammered and dancing or making out with each other.

Hiccup let out a sigh of relief. He was feeling much better now that he was away from all the commotion. The weather outside was nice, surprisingly cool for the last day of October. The night had settled in a few hours before, and although it was still a bit cold, the brunet could handle staying outside in just his costume, at least for a while.

The garden at Astrid's place was quite big, compared to the other houses in the neighbourhood. There was a long row of pine trees aligned along a white wooden fence, with even a small pond at the end of the garden.

Hiccup remembered when he was younger, the pond used to hold a couple of koi carps, and he and Astrid would often come to feed them. But after an unfortunate incident with the neighbors' cat, the Hoffersons had given up on the idea of a fish pond, and had kept it as a regular, empty pond.

But this time, the pond wasn't as empty when Hiccup noticed an odd-looking boy sitting by the water, his bare feet hovering just above the surface.

He was wearing a dark blue hoodie with frost patterns around the neck and wrists, with skinny beige pants ripped at the end and tied to his calves with brown ropes. What first hit Hiccup about the boy wasn't his outfit, though, or the long shepherd staff he was twirling in one hand. No, it was the boy's snow white hair, standing in unusual angles and falling over his eyes in bright pearly strands.

The boy was focused on the pond, not paying any mind to the new-comer and, for a moment, Hiccup considered just walking away. As intrigued as he was by the other teen, he really wasn't in the mood for any small-talk.

But, fate had it, the brunet had barely taken a step back when he tripped over a wild root and fell butt-first on the frozen grass, landing with a painful 'thump'. Immediately, he shot a glance towards the white-haired teen who was now eyeing him curiously.

Shameful and embarrassed, Hiccup stood up, brushing the dirt off his clothes, and gave the other boy a sheepish wave. There was no turning back at this point; the teen had clearly seen him, and it would've been rude to simply turn around without a word.

« Hi… » He said, taking a step forwards.

The boy raised an eyebrow, looking at him cautiously. He glanced around, then turned back to Hiccup.

« Me? » He asked, pointing at his chest. He frowned when Hiccup gave a hesitant nod. « You can see me? » He questioned again.

« Err... Yeah? » The brunet bit his lips. Shoot, was he not supposed to? Maybe the boy really wanted to be left alone, after all… « I'm sorry » Hiccup stuttered « I didn't mean to intrude, I just— I wanted to— I can leave if you want ».

Apparently recovering from his initial shock, the boy shook his head vigorously, waving at the smaller teen to come closer, patting the rock next to him.

« I, err... Okay, yeah » Hiccup muttered, doing as he was told. He sat down, and pushed his helmet up with the palm of his hand.

"I'm Jack" the white-haired boy said, offering a dazzling smile of perfectly aligned teeth.

Hiccup opened his mouth to answer, but only managed to stare—oogle, almost—at the stranger. Objectively speaking, and despite his pale, almost translucent skin, Jack was by far one of the most attractive people the boy had seen all night—or ever, for that matter.

The brunet shook his head, snapping himself out of his daze « Hiccup » He said, bracing himself for any oncoming joke regarding his name.

« Well, Hiccup » Jack said, without a single trace of mockery in his voice « You're a special one, you know that? ».

« I guess? » The boy eluded, not really understanding what the other had meant by that.

Apparently, the answer satisfied the older teen, whose smile only grew wider as he kept talking.

« So what are you supposed to be? » Jack asked, waving his finger in the general direction of the boy's clothes « Some sort of tiny Viking? ».

« I think you meant the burliest of Vikings! » Hiccup grinned, flexing his non-existent muscles, earning a heart-felt laugh from Jack.

« Ah yes! » the other laughed « I can see that from your indisputable raw manliness! I'm impressed! »

The brunet chuckled. « And you? I'm guessing some kind of Snow Elf, right? »

Jack's smile flattened « What? » He asked, taken off guard.

« Your costume » Hiccup explained, gesturing the taller teen's outfit. He bit his lips, praying to the gods he hadn't gotten in wrong.

« Oh, right, yeah… » Jack shook his head, like he was suddenly remembering his clothes. "My... Costume » He coughed, then looked back up at Hiccup with a grin « I'm actually the spirit of Winter, and Guardian of Fun, thank you very much »

« Right » The brunet chuckled « So _not _an elf? »

« How dare you, sir? » The other teen gasped in mock offense.

« I'm sorry, I'm sorry! » Hiccup laughed, throwing his hands up in defense « Please don't freeze me! »

« Nah! » Jack chuckled, twirling his staff above the water « I wouldn't want to ruin those cute freckles of yours »

The brunet chocked, face turning bright red, and he tried to pull on his helmet to hide his embarrassment, which only doubled the other's amusement.

« I'm _sorry_, are you embarrassed by your adorableness? » Jack asked « I didn't mean to be rude, I just wanted to... _Break the ice »_

Hiccup's eyes shot open wide, and he burst out laughing, arms wrapped around his middle and fingers digging in his ribs, trying to controls his hilarity. Jack bit back a laugh of his own, and leaned a bit towards the brunet.

« Well I certainly didn't expect you to have such a _meltdown_ » Jack winked, flicking the smaller teen's forehead.

Hiccup chuckled, lifting his face to look provocatively into Jack's eyes. « Don't flatter yourself. That was an awful pun. »

« How _cold _of you to say that! » Jack gasped, pressing a hand to his chest.

« Oh what? » Hiccup snorted, raising an eyebrow « Did I offend you, Frosty? »

« Very much, yes! » the white-haired teen cried out « I can't believe you'd say something so _cold-hearted_ to me! » He gasped dramatically. « And here I was, hoping to spend the evening with a lovely little viking… » He smirked at the brunet « Have you seen them anywhere? »

Hiccup gave him a crooked grin « I could always go get Astrid, if you want »

« Ah, yeah, I'd rather not » Jack frowned slightly « I saw what she did to that drunk dude who tried to hit on her »

« Yeah I guess messing with her goes against basic survival instincts » Hiccup chuckled.

At this point, they were awfully close to each other, and the brunet tried to stifle the blush creeping at his cheeks, staring at his hands to avoid eye-contact.

« So tell me, Hic » Jack leaned in a little, grabbing his ankles « What's your thing? »

« My thing? »

« Your Halloween thing! » He said, throwing his hands up « Everyone has a Halloween-related story that pushes them to dress up every year even after they grow too much for the stores to sell their size of costume » He pointed at the brunet's obviously hand-made costume « So what's your thing? »

« I don't think I have a thing » Hiccup looked down at his hands, biting his lips.

« Everyone has a thing! » Jack exclaimed « So, what, do you believe in ghosts, maybe? »

« I used to as a kid » The brunet shrugged, but frowned slightly when he saw the other grinning. He bit back a smile « Don't laugh! » He cried out « I was a very gullible kid! I believed in ghosts and trolls and dragons, too! » The boy shook his head, laughing. For years, he had driven his father insane, constantly making up theories about fantastic creatures and how to catch them. He'd run off on his own, and had gotten lost more often than he was willing to admit.

« Something tells me you still believe at least a little bit » Jack nudged him with a wink.

Hiccup looked away, shrugging « Well! » He laughed « It's hard not to believe on the night of Halloween! »

He chuckled, expecting the other to laugh loudly with him or make a snarky comeback. But, had he been watching him, he would've seen the white-haired teen looking dazed, a sad smile ghosting over his lips.

« Trust me » Jack whispered, his voice barely audible « Most people don't believe, even on that night… »

« What? » The brunet asked, pretty sure the older teen had said something.

« Nothing » Jack shot him a dazzling smile, nudging him with his shoulder.

Hiccup raised an eyebrow. He was sure he had heard something, but he didn't know Jack enough to push him, so he decided to drop the subject.

« Anyway what are you doing here outside alone? » Jack asked « Shouldn't you be inside with the others, hoarding all the ladies with your mad charms? »

The smaller teen huffed « I'll let you know that I am, in fact, plenty charming, thank you very much! » He crossed his arms on his chest, taking offense at what the other had implied « Besides I don't drink, and I don't like meddling with people when they're too sweaty and too drunk to hold a proper conversation »

« Ack! » Jack gasped, slamming his fist in his hand dramatically « So much for my plan to get you drunk and bringing you home with me, then! »

« Whatever, Jackass » Hiccup pulled a face at him « You act like you're such a social butterfly, but what were you doing here alone, then? »

« Observing » Jack said, leaning forwards and wiggling in eyebrows « Hunting for the next prey to take back to my lair. I'm actually a serial killer, y'know » He laughed when the brunet punched his shoulder « Nah, I'm kidding! » He chucked « I was just taking a bit of fresh air, and I'm in such a pleasant company » He winked.

Hiccup looked down at his hands, hiding the blush creeping at his cheeks and pushing his helmet back up.

« Thanks » he muttered softly.

« Actually » Jack grinned « I was talking about myself »

He laughed, and Hiccup cursed, shoving him off the rock he was sitting on, telling him to go to hell, which only increases the white-haired teen's hilarity.

« I'm kidding! I'm kidding! » Jack laughed, climbing back on the rock and dodging when the brunet tried to push him back off « You're pretty decent to be around, really » His voice became softer, a caring smile on his lips. Said smile instantly turned into a mischievous grin as he added « I mean for a talking fishbone. »

« Don't make me unleash my Viking wrath on you! » Hiccup threatened, pointing a finger at Jack menacingly.

« No, please, don't! » The other laughed, throwing his hands up in defense « I'm terrified and slightly turned on! »

Hiccup choked, face turning bright red, which only seemed to amuse the other even more.

When he finally managed to regain composure, he glanced towards the house. The living room was brightly lit, and even with the flashing lights, Hiccup could figure out the blonde girl pacing the room; Astrid was probably going mad trying to find out where he had left to, and she wouldn't hesitate to get physical if he didn't go back inside quickly.

« I should go back » he said to Jack, biting his lip, not really eager to leave « Astrid's gonna kill me if I don't. »

« She seems like she has quite a temper, no? »

« You have no idea… » The smaller teen slumped his shoulders, shuddering at the thought of Astrid getting mad at him again. He turned to Jack, pointing awkwardly towards the house « You wanna come? »

Jack seemed to hesitate for a moment, and Hiccup noticed how his smile vanished for a split of a second before reappearing, except it didn't quite reach his eyes anymore.

« Nah! » The boy shrugged, almost nonchalantly « I think I'll stay back a bit more, I'll catch up with you later »

The brunet gave a quick nod, and tried to gulp down his disappointment. He'd been having a lot of fun with Jack, especially since he hadn't expected to meet anyone interesting that night.

If he was completely honest, he really liked the taller teen, with his oddly-coloured hair and snarky fun-loving attitude. He shoot his head. Jack didn't seem like the kind of guy to promise something and not keep that promise. If he said he's see him soon, he would. Probably. Maybe?

« I—err... Yeah » Hiccup nodded, standing up from the rock. He stood awkwardly for a second, before dusting his pants and straightening himself up, smiling sheepishly at Jack. « See you later? »

« Count on it! » Jack grinned.

The brunet smiled, and walked back towards the house. But, barely had he taken a step out of the shade of the pine trees that he was pulled back by Jack grabbing his hand. Hiccup turned around, eyebrow raised at the boy standing in front of him, grabbing both wrists with his hands. He bit back a shiver at the icy coldness of his touch.

« Actually » Jack said « I've been meaning to try something out. Close your eyes and please don't be mad »

The smaller teen frowned, but obeyed nonetheless. « I swear to God, Jack, if it's one of those screamer pranks I will kill y— »

Hiccup was suddenly cut off by a pair of freezing lips on his, and he gasped, eyes snapping open. But it only took him a second to understand what was going on, and his lids fluttered close again as he leaned into the kiss, feeling Jack grin against his lips.

Too soon to his liking, the taller boy pulled away, and Hiccup looked up at him, biting his lower lip. Jack was staring straight into his eyes, forehead pressed against his. He chuckled softly, icy breath tickling freckled skin.

« Happy Halloween » he whispered, lips ghosting over the brunet's « I'll see you around, Hic »

Hiccup was in too much of a daze to doubt anything he was told, and he mechanically walked back inside the house when Jack freed his hands. He slid the glass door open, and was brought back to reality by the thumping of the music and bitter smell of booze. Someone in the room cried out because of the cold, and the brunet closed the door, too embarrassed to look outside in case Jack was still watching.

Quickly, his eyes scanned the room to find Astrid, dead set on putting the conversation behind him and going back outside. He was nearly tackled to the ground when the blonde girl found him first.

« Hiccup where the hell have you been?! » She asked, punching his shoulder « I've been looking all over for you! »

« Astrid calm down! » The boy said, rubbing his painful limb « I was just outside in the garden! »

« In the cold? » Astrid asked suspiciously « Alone? »

« Not alone... Exactly » Hiccup eluded, looking at the floor awkwardly « I was with Jack »

Knowing Astrid, Hiccup had really expected her to scream and get mad for leaving without a word, then get annoyingly nosy in whatever had happened between the two. What he hadn't expected, though, was what she answered instead;

« Who? »

« Jack! » Hiccup repeated « Y'know, white hair, blue hoodie, perfect teeth, shit-eating grin? » When the girl still looked skeptical, he added « He was just out in the garden before I left"

« Hiccup… » Astrid said, softly, like she was afraid to scare him off « I don't know who you were talking to, but there's no Jack here, and I haven't seen anyone in the garden all night… »

« What? » Hiccup frowned, turning around towards the window « But he's just— »

He stopped dead on his track. The garden was in fact empty, with nothing outside other than the pine trees. The pond had completely frozen over and a few snowflakes when dancing down from the sky.

« But he was… »

« Hic, maybe I should take you to bed » Astrid suggested « Obviously you've had too much to drink and you're exhausted »

« I didn't— »

He hadn't swallowed a single drop on alcohol all night, he almost told her. But, looking outside, at the frozen pond that had been clear water only a second ago, and the snow covered floor with no footprints at all, he thought that maybe he did need some rest.

Hiccup followed the blonde upstairs as she helped him into a bed. He laid in the covers for a while, trying to clear his mind from everything.

Unbeknown to him, a certain winter spirit was spying him from a nearby rooftop, smiling to himself as he though that maybe Halloween wasn't such a bad time of the year after all.

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**AN****: There you go! This was short and horrible for the most part, but at least I feel like I'm contributing, so yay! Special hug to F****aisyah865 who's been an absolute sweetheart! **

**I should be uploading Megalomania next, I'm finally seeing where I can go with this story (writer's block will be the death of me), but only if college doesn't kill me first! Happy Halloween to you all, and thanks for reading/commenting!**


	4. Public Call

**Hey guys! Sorry I haven't updated in a while, I've been unbelievably busy with college assignments! Anyway, here's a little Hijack snippet to make you wait until I'm done editing the next chapter of Megalomania! Enjoy, and don't forget that reviews are always appreciated! **

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**ONESHOT 04: Public Call**

**Rating: R+**

**Genre: Romance + Humor**

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Jack hated using public bathrooms. They grossed him out, simple as that. He was a bit of a germaphobe—but not more than any _sane_ person would be—and he usually tried to hold it in for as long as possible. Except that today, he had drunk three large coffees from Starbucks, waiting for a date that had obviously stood him up, and he wouldn't have made it home without exploding.

He was washing his hands—with a bottle of hand sanitizer waiting on the side of the sink, just to be safe—when something caught his eyes.

The men's bathroom was completely empty. It was the middle of the afternoon, and most people were at work. Jack was only free because his university didn't give afternoon classes on Thursdays.

All the stall doors were opened, and from the corner of his eye, the boy could see a piece of paper stuck to one of the stall walls. Curious by nature, he pushed the door with his elbow—those things were unsanitary, unsafe, and every 'un' words out there—and gave the paper a closer look.

Scribbled on the wall were the distinct digits of a cell phone number next to a very unflattering message.

"**Easy gay fuck—Call Hiccup**"

Jack raised an eyebrow. He wasn't sure if the boy had written the number himself or if someone had thought it'd be fun to do it for him, but just in case, the college student typed in the number in his phone and pressed "call".

The phone rung four times, before Jack heard the rumble of the device being moved, and a surprisingly nasal voice filled his ear.

« Hello? » The stranger's tone was weary—who wasn't with unknown numbers?—but there was something in his voice that Jack found adorable.

« Err yeah. » The boy cleared his throat, his free hand clutching the snow-white strands of hair on the back of his head. « Are you Hiccup? »

« Yes. » The other said, suspicion audibly growing by the second. « Who's asking? »

« I'm Jack. » He answered, deciding it was better to be honest with the boy, considering what he was about to tell him next. « I was wondering if you knew that your phone number is written on a stall in the men's bathroom of the Burgess Mall... »

« _What?!_ » The scream was followed by a string of curses—some of them in a foreign language that the other didn't recognise.

« Yep. » Jack answered, popping the 'p'. He mindlessly scratched one of the numbers with his fingernail—though it did no good to erase it—and spoke again. « There are some pretty homophobic stuff on there too. » The "Hiccup" boy groaned and Jack bit his lips to keep himself from chuckling as he added. « Judging from your reaction, it probably won't help that whoever did this also thought it'd be a good idea to illustrate their point with what I assume is a picture of you. » He smirked, ripping the paper from the wall. « Cute freckles by the way. »

The boy on the other side let out another curse, but it was more distant this time, and Jack guessed that he had put the phone down. The corner of his lips tugged up into an amused smirk, and the boy picked up his phone again. He was still swearing, muttering various ways to murder "that bitch".

« So, is someone holding a mean grudge against you, or am I getting ahead of myself, here? »

The boy huffed. « Ex-girlfriend. » He said—a little out of breath, and Jack wondered if he was running. « Three months after we started dating I realised I was gay... As you might have guessed she didn't take it very well. » He hesitated. « And... I don't know why I'm telling you that, you probably don't care, sorry. »

Jack had a little laugh, genuinely amused.

« It's fine, don't worry. » He smiled. « And that's rough, man. You were just being honest with her, it was better than to stay despite feeling no attraction towards her. » Jack pulled a face. He remembered his coming-out experience, and it was far from pleasant. But at least he had been single at the time. « That really would've been a dick move. You were just being a good guy. »

Hiccup had an disapproving hum.

« Yeah, the epitome of a good guy, that's me. » He said, and let out a sigh. « And look were that got me. My phone number and my picture's on a bathroom wall—and gods know where else—just up there for any creep to call. » There was a second of silence, before he added a sheepish « No offence »

« None taken. » Jack shook his head. « I did call a random number on a bathroom stall. My intentions could've been a lot less pure. » He shrugged. « Tell you what. How about I get rid of all those? I can throw out the picture and try to erase your number. »

Hiccup hesitated. « You'd do that? »

« Of course! » The other said, phone tucked between his shoulder and his ear as he pulled out a black marker from his bag and started scribbling over the writings. « That's the least I could do, really. »

Once the number was unreadable, Jack decided to get rid of the other messages as well.

« So did you get any other phone calls? Because I'm pretty sure that you could sue them for harassing an underaged kid. »

« I'm nineteen but thanks. » Hiccup deadpanned. « And no, no calls other than yours, thank the gods. »

« You're _nineteen_? » Jack gasped, almost dropping the phone into the cubicle. He caught it just in time, hearing the boy on the other side chuckling at that. « I thought you were fifteen at best! » He cleared his throat. « No offence, I think you're cute. »

« Well that's a surprisingly creepy thing to say to someone you thought was underaged. » Hiccup said teasingly.

« Except you're not. » Jack smirked. « So there's no law that forbids me from hitting on you. »

He heard the boy choke, and smiled, pleased by his exploits at embarrassing the kid.

« Done! » He said with satisfaction. « I got rid of everything, you are no longer under the threat of receiving creepy phone calls, other thank mines, of course. »

« Thanks. » The teen's voice was soft, filled with genuine gratitude. « I really don't know how to thank you... »

« Don't sweat it. » Jack shrugged.

He glanced down at the boy's picture in his hand, considering wether or not he should keep it. He could see that someone had an arm wrapped around the boy's shoulder as he shot the camera a dorky grin, but the other person's face was ripped out, and Jack assumed it had been the girl responsible for all of this. Shaking his head, Jack stuffed the picture in his pocket. He could always dispose of it later.

« Just buy me a cup of coffee whenever and we'll call it even » He told the boy.

« I don't know... » Hiccup chuckled. « You've been decent so far, but I can't be a hundred percent sure that you're not a pedophile or an axe-murdered. » His tone was sarcastic and Jack chuckled.

« It's not pedophilia if you're over eighteen. » Jack simple stated with a nod.

« And about the axe-murderer? »

« _Excuse_ me! » The white-haired male said in mock offence. « What I do on my free time does not concern you! » The brunet laughed at that, and Jack shrugged. « At least you know that I'm not a psycho that'll broadcast your personal infos in every public space of town. »

Jack walked out of the stall. He stopped in front of one of the large mirrors over the sink, and took a second to fix the wild silver strands of hair that fell over his eyes. His hair was messy, as usual, sticking up in every directions, but the boy liked it that way. Leaning forwards, he saw that his naturally brown roots were starting to show, and even if it wasn't too obvious yet, he'd have to bleach them again soon.

« Well that's a comfort... I guess. » Hiccup deadpanned.

Jack laughed. « You should be glad! » He sung. « You might get murdered, but at least your privacy is safe with me! »

« I guess I should thank you, then? »

« You bet! » The white-haired male pushed the bathroom door open with his shoulder, and blended in with the crowd flowing down the halls of the mall. « But don't worry, I'm not too difficult. I'll accept my weight in gold as a form of payment. »

« That's gonna make a lot of gold. » The brunet teased.

« _What?_ » Jack gasped, avoiding pumping into the men and women in suits going home from work. « You wound me, sir! »

He heard the other boy laugh, and the college boy bit his lip. He knew he was being ridiculous, blatantly flirting with a kid he hadn't even met—and who had never even seen his face. But every time the brunet laughed, Jack couldn't help but think it was the most adorable sound he had ever heard.

The background noise was getting louder on Hiccup's side—and probably Jack's as well, now that he had left the peaceful silence of the empty bathroom—and the white-haired male guessed that Hiccup must've been walking in the street or something.

« I'll ignore that last comment » Jack said, waving at a little girl that was pointing at him with a huge smile. « But you definitely owe my that coffee, now. »

« Well damn. » Hiccup sighed, amusement lacing his words. « Fine. One cup, and that's it. I don't want you to get your hopes and, and think that you'd ever have a shot with me! »

« I'll let you know, Freckles, that you're dead wrong. » Jack shoot his head. « I doubt that you'd be able to resist my incredible charms after seeing how much of a hot piece of ass I am! »

« Eh, whatever helps you sleep at night, man. »

Jack was about to retort to that—with a remark full of wits, and not at all childish, mind you—but he was cut of when someone rammed into him with enough force to send him tumbling backwards a few steps. He groaned, glad that he hadn't dropped his phone—still held firmly against his ear—in the impact.

The white-haired male looked down, frowning slightly. The person he had ran into was a boy with auburn hair, quite shorter than him from what he could tell—but he couldn't be certain, since the kid was kneeling on the floor, picking up his phone and checking for any damage.

The boy brought the phone back to his ear and looked up, emerald eyes locking with Jack's sapphire blue ones, and they both spoke at once.

« Are you alri— »  
« I'm so sorr— »

The two boys froze when they heard the other's voice echo in their phone.

Jack stood there, staring uselessly at the teenager with the freckled face he recognised from the picture in the bathroom stall—except that the dorky grin had been replaced by wide eyes and a gaping mouth. Instinctively, his fingers reached for his pocket, making sure that the picture was still in there, and the boy hadn't popped out of it like a goddamn magic trick.

Jack was the first to snap out of his thoughts. He knelt down, helping the—still dazed—boy on his feet.

« Erm... » The white-haired male hesitated. « Are you Hiccup? »

The words had barely left his lips that Jack could've slapped himself at how ridiculous he sounded. The brunet blinked a couple of times, seemingly regaining consciousness as he stuttered an answer.

« I-Err yeah I'm... Jack? »

The taller male grinned widely. « Talk about coincidence. » He looked the boy up and down, noting his absence of bag. He glanced at his phone for a second, ending the call and stuffing the device in his pocket. « What are you doing here, couldn't wait to meet me? » He grinned.

« No, I— » The brunet relaxed a little « I was here to check the bathroom stall you told me about. » He added, pointing down the hall.

« So you don't trust me? » Jack pressed a hand to his chest. « I've got to say, Freckles, I'm genuinely hurt. »

« Shut it, Snowflake. » The smaller boy laughed, swatting Jack's arm. « For all I knew you added much worse comments instead of actually erasing the number. »

« Fine, whatever. » Jack huffed. « Go see for yourself. »

Hiccup nodded, and walked past the taller boy, not paying it any mind when he heard Jack keeping in step with him. He reached the bathroom and pushed the door opened, checking the empty stalls one after another for any signs of his number. Aside from a scribble that looked more like a huge black stain than an actual message, he found nothing.

Just outside of the bathroom, Jack was leaning with one shoulder against the wall, looking completely nonchalant as he waited for the smaller teen. When he spotted the brunet walking through the door, his shot him a large grin, and pushed himself off the wall to stand next to the boy.

« See? » He asked. « I told you I could be trusted! »

« Uh hu... » Hiccup nodded. « For a potential psychopath, I guess you're somewhat honest. »

The brunet laughed when the other male answered with a proud "I know, right?". Hiccup's eyes suddenly lit up in amusement, and he smirked.

« You know, it's funny... » He said, hiding his hands behind his back. « I actually pictured you to be a lot older... But I guess I wasn't wrong, you do have an old man's hair. »

« Hey! » Jack's head snapped towards the brunet, fingers gripping his bleached roots. « My hair looks awesome and you know it! » He crossed his arms over his chest, mumbling. « I'm only twenty-two, it's really not _that_ old... »

« Ah. » Hiccup hummed in obvious disbelief. He chuckled when Jack gave him a childish pout, and finally let out a relieved sigh. « But... I guess you did save me a lot of trouble... » He looked up, locking eyes with the white-haired man. « Thanks. »

Jack gave him a genuine smile. « Any time. »

He let out a small laugh and gently nudged Hiccup's shoulder with his own, both boys walking a little closer to each other after that. The brunet bit his lip, watching Jack from the corner of his eye while they walked past the various shops.

Hiccup had never been one for keeping up the conversation. He was this nerdy, secluded kind of character that rarely left his room, and it was a miracle if he managed to stutter a polite "hello" to the baker when he was buying bread. In truth, he was just this freckled ball of concentrated awkwardness, and although it had never really bothered him—much—before, right this instant he found himself not wanting this particular conversation to end.

He focused on Jack, walking next to him, eyes watching in front of him—although the smaller boy did notice him glancing his way from time to time—and relieved in the way their fingers occasionally brushed against each other, enjoying the way it sent pleasing shudders up his spine.

Hiccup looked down at his feet, drilling his brain for an excuse to spend a little more time with the man that had saved his freckled butt from quite a lot of trouble.

« So... » Jack cleared his throat, suddenly bashful, and his cheeks were tinted in the most subtle shades of pink. « Now that we're established that I'm a lawfully good person, how about I let you take me out for that coffee you've been _dying_ to buy me? »

Hiccup chuckled. That was definitely a good way to start.


	5. Extracurricular Meetings

**RPN!AU prompt suggested by Tumblr user Toffyy**

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**ONESHOT 05: Extracurricular Meetings**

**Rating: T**

**Genre: Romance + Humor**

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Monday had never been a good day for Jack.

It was some sort of cosmic joke, like an unknown force wanted to mess with him, specifically on the first day of the week, every week. Sometimes he forgot a book at home, or went to school still wearing his slippers. Last week, he had tripped and fallen into a puddle.

Today was no better. On his way to class, he had been chased down the street by his neighbor's neurotic chihuahua, resulting in the poor white-haired boy walking straight into a lamppost. It had hurt like hell, and now his thick-framed glasses were twisted and slightly wobbly.

Jack huffed as he opened his locker and pulled out some books for his first lesson. Around him, students were rushing to class, sleepily bumping into each other or eagerly catching up with their friends on what they had done during the week-end.

With his books stuffed in his bag, Jack straightened his baby blue sweater and closed his locker. Just as he was about to turn around and head to class, the white-haired teen noticed that the halls had gotten dead silent, and all the eyes were turned in the same direction.

Jack heard the heavy steps of combat boots and jingling of metallic chains before he saw the boy with the untamed auburn hair and freckled skin, walking down the halls as all the students cleared a neat path for him.

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III was a force to be reckoned with, every students—and most teachers—of Berk High School knew that. If the boy's general 'fuck you' attitude wasn't enough, his punk attire and large dragon tattoo wrapped around his arm and neck was a dead giveaway. Him and his gang, despite managing to avoid the cliché _bully_ label, definitely weren't the most approchable of people, and any form of disrespect towards them would leave you with a black eye.

There were a lot of rumors surrounding the group, most of which were ridiculous enough to be true. People said that Astrid—the girl with the long blonde braid on her shoulder—always carried a battle axe somewhere with her, and that the last boy who had tried to hit on her hadn't woken up until two weeks later. The twins—Ruffnut and Tuffnut, both self-assigned nicknames—were down-right insane, always looking for a fight to join or start. Snotlout was said to eat raw meat and animal entrails for breakfast, and what the boy lacked in brain, he made up in muscles. Fishlegs was the only one spared form any wild rumors, since the boy was more of a book-worm than a brute, but his being the childhood friend and full-time member of the band kept anyone from ever messing with him.

And finally, there was Hiccup. As terrified as they were of him, the high school students loved running their mouths about the senior. Some said he had actually brought down a man with a single punch during a fight, others said he had a black panther as a house pet, and most swore that he was a Viking descendant, and that his house had skulls used as flower vases to prove it.

Jack didn't really know what to believe anymore, but he knew better than to stand up to the punk. So, whenever the band made an appearance, he kept quiet and tried to become invisible, just like he was to most students. Stand out and get noticed. Get noticed, and you make the perfect target for any potential bullies.

The white haired boy was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice he was staring at the group until a loud voice called him out.

« Hey glasses! » Hiccup took a step forwards. He wasn't a very tall person, in spite of how awe-inspiring he was to others, but he still managed to be a few inches taller than the pale teen. « Watcha' staring at? »

Jack's blood turned cold, his cheeks burning as he stuttered an apology. The brunet in front of him scoffed, and grabbed the boy's shoulder painfully tight. He leaned closer, until toxic green eyes were staring right at sapphire blue ones.

« That's what I thought, nerd. » Hiccup spat, and shoved the other into the locker behind him. Turning around, he spoke louder, addressing the hoard of students gawking at the scene. « Out of my fucking way! » And just like Moses parted the Red Sea, Hiccup made his way through the crowd without a single student crossing his path.

Jack waited until the group was out of sight to start breathing again. When the first bell rung, and the teenagers ran to class, he finally got up from his crouched position on the floor—when he had gotten down, he didn't know. Before he could walk to his classroom, a shrill voice called out his name.

« Jack! »

The white-haired boy turned to see his friends Ana—affectionately nicknamed Tooth thanks to her incommensurable love for dental care—rushing towards him.

« I saw what happened, are you alright? » The girl asked, her bright pink eyes looking up worriedly as her multicolored pixy cut bounced around her face.

« I'm fine, Tooth. » Jack smiled, rubbing his shoulder. « It was my fault, anyway. »

« Like hell it was! » Ana shrieked angrily, flailing her arms around in enraged motions. « You did nothing wrong, who do they think they are, those f— »

« Tooth! » The boy cut her off, waving his hands in her face. « I'm fine. Let's just go to class, I don't want to be late. »

The petite girl eyed him suspiciously, but Jack gave her a somewhat convincing smile. She nodded and they both walked to their first class, which luckily they had in common.

Jack flopped into a chair in the front row, while Tooth sat next to him. She was rambling fast words about her week-end, speaking actively and gesturing widely with her hands, so that the white-haired boy only managed to understand a few bribes of it. The class was starting to fill up, students arriving one after another, and the peaceful silence was soon replaced by a loud commotion of chatters and laughs.

The noise decreased barely—if at all—when the teacher walked in. He was a chubby man with sparse grayish hair and a bushy beard. His eyes were small and circled by dark rings, lazily running over the newspaper in his fleshy hands. The man cleared his throat, which did no good to calm his students, and with a weary voice, he started the roll call. It went on for a few long minutes, where the man would slowly scribble on his paper each time a student didn't answer, and finally Jack's turn came.

« Jackson Overland Frost »

« Yes! » Jack lifted a hand. The teacher hummed lazily, but instead of calling the next name, he spoke again.

« Mr. Overland, you're expected at the reception desk… » He said, his pencil scratching the paper again. He ripped off a note, and held id out to the white-haired teen. « Please hurry. »

« Now? » Jack asked, his eyes wide. He really couldn't see a reason why he'd be pulled out of class so early in the morning.

« Yes, yes. » The teacher nodded, although it was clear that he hadn't heard a word of what had been said to him. Instead, he shook the paper with a little more conviction, and continued roll call.

The white-haired boy stood up, giving his friend a confused look as he walked out of class, note in hand. The writing was barely legible, so it did no good to help him, either.

Outside the classroom, the school's halls were empty, with only the sound of Jack's steps to break the silence. The reception desk was in another building, and although the pale teen didn't want to miss his lesson, it was too early for him to be rushing anywhere. He settled for a steady pace instead, watching the locker numbers flash by as he walked past them.

As odd as it could seem, Jack very much enjoyed being alone in an empty building. It was calm and restful, with only his own thoughts to keep him company.

Unfortunately, that peace and quiet was quickly shattered as Jack's sweater was grabbed from behind, and he was pulled into a supply closet. The boy shut his eyes tight, waiting for the impact with the walls or floor tiles that was sure to follow. Surprisingly, nothing came, and the boy's arctic blue eyes fluttered open once more.

Instead of whatever he had been expecting—and he wasn't sure, really—Jack found himself facing a certain Hiccup Haddock, grinning down on him with amusement.

« What took you so long, Frosty? » The brunet asked.

« Well _excuse_ me. » Jack huffed, slapping the other male's hand away and dusting his sweater. « I didn't expect to be pulled out of class, and certainly not for _this_. » He sighed. « Can't you be like every one else and just drop a note in my locker or something? »

« Yeah, but where's the fun in that? » Hiccup chuckled, smirk widening.

The white-haired teen rolled his eyes. Every Monday started the same way. The punk would pull off a ridiculous stunt to lure Jack out of one of his class so that they could spend some time alone at school, safe from prying eyes. It was really just an overly-complicated way for them to meet, and it was nothing short to a miracle that they hadn't been figured out yet.

However, the pale teen didn't protest when the front of his sweater was caught and he was pulled towards the taller male. Hiccup nudged his nose, before pressing a soft kiss on his lips. Jack's cheeks heated up, and he took a step back as soon as he was let go of, gaze shifting around the poorly-lit room.

The brunet swallowed back a laugh at the smaller teen's embarrassment. They had been sneaking around like that for months, and still Jack acted like a blushing virgin whenever Hiccup acted a little affectionate. Aside from being adorable, it was also an inexhaustible source of amusement, which only motivated the brunet to do it more.

Hiccup dropped his leather jacket on the floor and went to sit on it, pulling the white-haired boy down with him so he'd settle in his lap. Jack let out a surprised yelp as he fell back, and he couldn't catch himself in time before his shoulder hit the shelf next to the brunet.

« Ouch! » The boy hissed, rubbing the painful spot. Hiccup's eyebrows knitted together in concern over the smaller boy.

« Is this from when I grabbed you earlier? » The punk asked, fingers brushing over the other's hand.

Jack looked away as he gave a sheepish shrug.

« Shit, Jack I'm sorry I didn't mean to hurt you! » Hiccup's voice was rushed in worry, and his hands ran over the other's arms helplessly, as if trying to undo his mistake.

The white-haired boy chuckled. « I'm fine, it didn't hurt too much… »

The brunet groaned loudly, burying his face in the other male's neck. He exhaled through his nose deeply, tickling the pale skin under him, which caused Jack to squirm slightly.

« I hate this… » Hiccup muttered under his break.

Jack sighed, and turned around the best he could in the cramped space offered by the cluttered supply closer. He knew the punk well enough to know what kind of guilt-trip was going on in his mind right that instant, and he needed to put an end to it now if he didn't want the taller boy sulking all day.

« Hiccup we've talked about this. It's _fine_. » He said. When the other didn't meet his gaze, the white-haired boy forcefully turned the brunet's chin to make him look up. « You have a reputation to uphold, and I don't want the attention that would come with going public. This is the best option for the both of us. »

Hiccup gave him a tentative smile, and Jack's lips stretched into a grin.

« Just… Next time you decide to bully me, go easy on the shoving, okay? »

The brunet let out another cry, nudging the pale teen's head in retaliation, which only make the other boy laugh some more.

« You're an ass. » Hiccup grumbled, but the amusement in his tone gave him away.

He rested his head in the crook of Jack's neck again, sighing in content as pristine white hair brushed against his face, sending soft chills down his spine. Jack hummed in ease, leaning back more comfortably as freckled arms wrapped around his waist.

They laid there in silence for a while, simply enjoying the gentle heat radiating from the other's body. Every now and then, Hiccup would press a kiss to Jack's neck or jaw, his slight stubble tickling the boy's pale skin.

Jack couldn't tell how much time had passed when Hiccup gave him a soft squeeze, and he smiled against his neck.

« I'll come to your house tonight, don't lock the window. » He whispered.

« I can't, I have an assignment due Friday. » The smaller teen frowned. « I can't have you distracting me. »

It wasn't exactly a lie, but what Jack would never admit was that it was becoming harder and harder to hide their relationship from his father. The burly man wasn't home often, but when he was it didn't go unnoticed when Jack spoke out loud to someone who wasn't supposed to be in his room. He was fairly certain that North knew what was going on, but it didn't make their morning breakfasts any less awkward when the teen's heated moments with his boyfriends got… loud.

« What assignment? » Hiccup asked, shaking the boy out of his thoughts.

« AP Physics. »

« I can help you with that, if you want. »

« Oh right » Jack scoffed. « I forgot you already passed all your exams in that lesson, Mr. Smarty-Pants. »

« Smarty-Pants? » Even without turning around, the white-haired boy could _hear_ the shit-eating grin plastered on Hiccup's face when he spoke.

« Shut up. » He huffed, crossing his arms on his chest in an exaggerated fit of frustration.

It was ridiculous, really. Everyone was so terrified of Hiccup that no one had noticed how the boy was a straight-A student in most of his lessons. Jack wasn't bad either—if he could say so himself—but he sometimes lost focus during class, which meant that he had to spend more time studying that his boyfriend.

« Do you want my help or not? » Hiccup asked, clearly enjoying the boy's temper tantrum.

« Fine. » Jack gave in. It probably wasn't a bad idea to have the brunet help him, otherwise he would've spent a lot of time playing video games with his sister instead of studying. Despite his 'couldn't-care-less' attitude, Hiccup was pretty serious when it came to school-work.

« Good, and then we can study biology. There's a few subjects I'd like to go over again. »

For the most part.

Jack rolled his eyes, trying not to react at the slim fingers provocatively making their way under his shirt to emphasize his innuendo, teasing the pale skin it met underneath. Despite the shivers of delight and goosebumps the heated touches gave him, the white-haired teen shook his head and pulled off the other's hand. It had been a while since he had left his class, and although the teacher wouldn't question his tardiness, he really needed to head back.

« You never cut it out, do you? » The boy chuckled, pushing himself up on his feet, ignoring Hiccup's attempts to keep him down.

« Nope. » The brunet grinned proudly, standing up as well and shaking the dust off his jacket.

Before Jack could reach the door, he was pulled to a stop as tattooed arms hooked him back again. Knowing fully well where this was leading, the pale teen turned around to face his boyfriend, and tip-toed himself up to press his lips against Hiccup in a more daring kiss.

Yes. Monday had never been a good day for Jack.

But lately he had come to enjoy them more.


	6. The Kangaroo Curse

**Prompt suggested by Tumblr user BerserkDragon (who's an absolute sweetheart)**

* * *

**ONESHOT 06: The Kangaroo Curse**

**Rating: K+**

**Genre: Supernatural + Humor**

* * *

« Jack, I told you pranking that old lady wasn't a good idea, I'm pretty sure she was a witch or something. »

« Pfff! Don't be stupid! » Jack waved a hand around, dismissing the worried words of the brunet walking beside him.

He and Hiccup had spent the entire day at the travelling fair that came once a year in Burgess and, aside from the many stomach-turning thrill rides, Jack had particularly enjoyed playing pranks on the unsuspecting parents and couples wandering around the isles. At some point, he had chosen as his designated target a cantankerous old lady with raggedy clothes and a hunched back who had been staring at the crowd from a dark corner. Needless to say, she hadn't enjoyed the white-haired boy's definition of a 'good time'.

« I'm not, but that stuff she yell at you sounded a lot like a curse to me… »

« Oh Hiccup, sweet naive Hiccup… » Jack scoffed, shaking his head in mock-pity « Don't you know there's no such thing as a cruse? »

« Jack… » The smaller male raised an eyebrow, slowing to a stop as he stared at his boyfriend, arms crossed on his chest. « What's the one thing every main characters in horror movies say before being struck by the wrath of a ghost? »

Jack frowned, lips pressed into a thin line. « There's no such thing as ghosts… » He recited.

« Yeah… » Hiccup pulled a face. He pressed a compassionate hand on the other boy's shoulder. « You're alone on this one, bud. »

The brunet shrugged and kept walking along the empty streets. Jack suddenly had the odd feeling he was being watched, like something was lurking in the eery shadows between the buildings. He sped up, trying to stay in step with his boyfriend, not wanting to be left behind.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

Itching. That was all Jack could think of, later that night, as he was lying in his bed, restless. Hiccup had fallen asleep fairly quickly—with their black cat Toothless sleeping on his stomach—and the white-haired boy was left alone with nothing but his thoughts and that creeping, prickling feeling under his skin, like thousands of bugs crawling for a way to escape.

Jack tried to push that thought far away from his mind, but the tingling sensation was maddening, and he couldn't ignore the old woman's words, resonating in his brain.

His throat was dry, and the bed sheets stuck to his sweat-covered skin.

Jack sat up, breathing hectic and head spinning slightly. He climbed out of bed as silently as he could, and walked to the bathroom, trusting the familiarity of the room and the soft early morning light seeping through the curtains to guide his shaky steps.

He made sure to close the door behind him before turning on the lights, and the lightbulb hanging from the ceiling flickered a few times before settling for a dimmed, yellowish glow.

Jack gripped the edge of the sink, taking deep breaths as he slowly lifted his head until his eyes met his own reflection in the mirror, and—

« Oh fuck—HicCUUUP! »

It took a record of barely two seconds before the brunet was at the door, messy hair in his face and bristled cat on his heels. Green eyes stared widely at Jack, until finally the sleep-induced haze in the boy's mind cleared, and he burst out laughing.

Jack was standing in the middle of the bathroom, looking absolutely disgruntled, with two long leporine ears sticking out of his snow white hair, folded back to emphasize his discontentment. Every inch of visible skin was covered in soft, barely discernible ivory fur, aside from his pink lips and rosy nose, that stood out from the rest of his face almost as much as his arctic blue eyes.

Hiccup toppled over in laughter, holding the door-handle for dear life to keep himself up. The other man crossed his arms on his chest, clearly not enjoying the joke quite as much.

« You said—And now you're—Ah! » The brunet panted, gasping for air between each words. He held his stomach tightly, trying to get himself together. Even the cat seemed to mock Jack's condition.

The taller male waited impatiently for his boyfriend to calm down, taping his elongated, fur-covered feet on the bathroom tiles. The irony of the situation hadn't escaped him, and maybe he would've found it humorous as well, had he not been the butt of _that_ joke.

« You kind of look like a rabbit, with those ears… » Hiccup finally commented, wiping off the tears in the corner of his eyes.

He stepped closer, inspecting the short, silky fur on Jack's exposed chest. It was odd, tickling his fingers as he brushed them against the boy's arm, and he could feel the other shivering slightly under his touch.

« Have you seen the tail » Jack asked, pointing at the long, furry white tail poking out of his loose coton pants. « It looks more kangaroo-like, to me. »

« Well that old woman did have an Australian accent… » The brunet nodded.

« Gah! » Jack cried out, crouching on the floor and burying his head in his knees. « What am I gonna do, Hic? I can't stay like that forever! »

« Well you know, I've always wanted a pet… » Hiccup teased, grinning wickedly as he knelt next to him.

Before the other could answer, and outraged mewl came from the black feline next to them, whose toxic green eyes glared holes in his owner.

« Sorry bud » The brunet smiled sheepishly, scratching behind Toothless' ear as an apology. The cat seemed to deem it satisfactory, and he pressed his head into the petting hand.

« It's not a joke, Hiccup… » Jack sniveled. « Look at me… »

The smaller male frowned. Damn it. He hated to see Jack unhappy, and seeing the whimpering mess that was his boyfriend at that moment, the boy immediately found the situation a lot less amusing.

« C'mon » Hiccup said, getting back on his feet and pulling Jack up with him. He grabbed his hands, leaning down to catch his gaze when the boy wouldn't look up from the floor. « Maybe it's like one of those cheesy fairy-tales, where only true love's kiss can break the curse? »

« That's stupid… » Jack muttered.

« Do you have a better idea? » Hiccup huffed, retracting his hands. Jack caught them before he could let go, gripping them tightly as he shook his head vigorously. « That's what I thought. » The brunet smirked. « Now close your eyes. »

Jack did as he was told, pink eyelids slipping over icy blue eyes, and he waited patiently for the other to make his move. Hiccup pushed himself up on his tip-toes, emerald eyes fluttering close as well when he pressed his lips to his boyfriend's cold, chapped ones. He lingered there for a while, feeling Jack's hands tightening on his, and enjoying the familiar quickened pace of his heartbeats. One hand left his own to cup the brunet's jaw, pressing him closer and relishing in the feeling of need that never ceased to make Jack's heart skip a beat. Hiccup smiled into the kiss, free hand tangling itself in the hair on the base of Jack's neck.

Finally, they pulled away, with their cheeks reddened and a glazed look in their eyes. Jack blinked a few times, watching his boyfriend expectantly, as the smaller boy hid a giggle behind his hand.

« What? » He asked.

« Your whiskers tickled my nose » The brunet snickered.

Jack groaned, turning his head to catch his reflection in the mirror, and had to recognize that his current appearance hadn't changed the least.

« And what now? » He moaned, turning back to face the other male.

Hiccup gave him a small smile, hands rested on Jack's shoulders as he leaned in to press a comforting kiss on his lips.

« Well, now you're gonna have to take up shaving. »

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

« GAH! »

Jack sat up screaming, sweat dripping down his neck as his fingers tightly gripped the bed sheets around him. He glanced around the room frantically, finding nothing but the late night darkness, with only the faint glow of the red digits of his alarm clock. Toothless looked up from his position on Hiccup's lap on the other side of the bed, looking very displeased at the commotion.

The white-haired male took deep, frenzied breaths, feeling his heart pounding against his ribs as he tried to calm down. Realization hit, and he frenziedly clasped at his arms and chest, finding nothing but smooth alabaster skin. Jack's hands grasped at the roots of his hair, but found nothing there that didn't belong.

He let out a relieved sigh, heart rate steadying slowly. Next to him, the bed stirred, and Hiccup gave a sleepy groan. Jack hushed him softly, shaking his head and slipping back under the covers, arms wrapping around his boyfriend's waist as he brought him closer.

« Hiccup? » Jack whispered, head buried in the smaller male's neck. « Do you think curses actually exist? »

The brunet grunted again, and Jack hummed, deciding it was probably good not to dwell on the subject too much. He was being ridiculous. There was no such thing as magic, or curses, or even witches.

But maybe he should lay off the pranks for a while.


	7. Stardust AU

Okay so I saw the movie Stardust recently and I just hit by the realization that it's absolutely PERFECT for a hijack AU!

So quick **warning for spoilers**! Honestly if you haven't seen the movie go watch it first it's super sweet and cute and you won't regret it!

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**ONESHOT 06: The Boy and the Star**

**Rating: K+**

**Genre: Romance**

* * *

Hiccup couldn't stop the caring smile from tugging at the corner of his lips.

The sky surrounding them was radiant with stars and not one cloud to spoil the view. The soft wind that carried their ship across the heavens was warm against the boy's skin. But what made the brunet smile was something else entirely.

Sitting on a large wooden box, he watched fondly as Jack tip-toed in an hesitant circle around the deck of the boat, hands on the Captain's shoulders as the large man clumsily taught him how to waltz. A soft music filled the air, delicate notes phrased every now-and-then by the gentle laughter of the boy dancing in time with that wonderful symphony.

Despite his inexperience, Jack had a natural grace to his movements, and watching him twirl was mesmerizing. His steps were light, barely touching the wooden floor below him as the boy seemingly danced on air. Under the beams of the moon, his hair seemed whiter, his eyes brighter, and all around him was a soft glow. Jack was gleaming like a celestial being, glimmering like the star he was.

And it was beautiful.

With a smile, Hiccup pushed himself up on his feet, joining the two on the deck. As he lead their steps harmoniously, Gobber leaned closer to Jack, whispering something in the boy's ear, which caused his light to dim for a second. But then his eyes fell on Hiccup, and the star shone brighter than before.

When the brunet reached their sides, the Captain took a polite step back, grinning knowingly as he pressed Jack's hand into Hiccup's. The taller male nodded, wrapping an arm around Jack's waist as he took the lead and guided them both across the ship's deck. They waltzed clumsily, stepping on each other's toes and laughing quietly at their indisputable lack of grace. Hiccup could feel Jack's breath on his shoulder as he laughed. Instinctively, he pressed the boy closer, hands tightening on his hip and fingers intertwining the star's. Jack leaned against him, sighing softly as the silver hue around him brightened ever-so-slightly.

Time slowed, and they kept dancing with each other until the break of dawn. The boy and the star, swaying to the music under the careful watch of the moon, both oblivious to the rest of the world.

The ship landed on a lake early the next morning, quite roughly at that. Standing on the forecastle, Jack and Hiccup clung to each other, laughing themselves to tears as huge wave caused by the backwash of the landing almost had them both toppled overboard.

Once the ship had berthed, the two boys gathered their few belongings and bid their pirate friends farewell. Jack waved from the gangway as the Captain offered Hiccup a case containing a lightening bolt, as a token of their friendship. Before the brunet could turn away, the large man grabbed his arm, spinning him around and leaning in to whisper a few words in the boy's ear.

Jack watched as Hiccup's eyes widened in surprise and he took a step back, turning to the star in confusion. Gobber simply laughed, telling Hiccup to think about his words, and waved the two boys goodbye, wishing them safe travel to Berk.

It took a few minutes of walking in silence before Jack dared to ask;

« What did he say to you? »

« Hm? » Hiccup turned to the white-haired boy. « Say when? »

« Just then, when he whispered to you. » Jack shrugged, glancing to the brunet every now-and-then, but carefully watching his steps on the rocky path they walked.

Hiccup hesitated for a second, before shaking his head. « He was just saying that we should use the lightening bolt to get you a snow globe. » He said, showing the cylindrical case Gobber had given him earlier. « Barter for it, to get you home once we're done. »

Jack frowned, giving an impassible 'ah'. He had almost forgotten about the whole reason for this ludicrous journey. Hiccup was bringing him back to Berk, on the other side of the wall, as a present for Astrid's hand in marriage. The girl had promised to marry the brunet if—and only if—he brought back the fallen star on her birthday, a day from now.

With everything that had happened since Hiccup had knocked him over in the crater, a few days back, it had almost slipped the star's mind that their trip was nearing its end.

Jack walked the next mile in silence, with the brunet trailing a few step behind. Around them, autumn had settled, with trees bare of any leaves and chilly winds announcing the arrival of winter. The cool air was tickling the white-haired boy's skin, and he fiddled with the hem of his blue cloak absentmindedly.

The silence was starting to become uncomfortable when Hiccup halted, grabbing Jack's wrist and pulling him to a stop. In the slip of a second, Jack was thrown to the ground behind a bush, barely catching a glimpse of the carriage coming their way on the nearby path. The star yelped in surprise when his back hit the ground, and his eyes widened even more when Hiccup fell on top of him shortly after, hands resting on each side of Jack's face to hold him up.

« Are you trying to break my leg _again_? » Jack admonished in a hushed voice.

« I'm sorry, I'm sorry! » Hiccup whispered back, smiling apologetically at the star underneath him. « But I can't risk people seeing you, I don't trust anyone. »

« But at this rate, if we keep stopping, we'll never make it in t— »

« Shh! » The brunet hushed him, pressing a finger on Jack's pale lips. The star sucked in a surprised breath, unable to stop himself from glowing faintly at the touch. « We're making good time, Jack. » Hiccup explained, lifting his head to keep an eye on the carriage. « Just wait a moment. »

They both held their breath for a minute, listening to the coach passing by without stopping. When he was certain that it hadn't spotted them, Hiccup allowed himself to relax, and looked back down at the white-haired boy under him. Jack was frowning slightly, watching the brunet curiously in an attempt to understand something that had been bothering him from the start.

« Aren't you tempted? » He asked, tilting his head to the side, a flicker of a smile on his lips.

« Tempted? » Hiccup repeated, eyes gazing into the other's azure blue ones, and head dipping imperceptibly. « By what? » His nose was almost brushing against Jack's, and he could feel the star's breath on his lips as he spoke.

« Immortality? » Jack answered, unsure. He shook his head softly, and Hiccup pulled away slightly to watch him attentively when he explained. « Say it wasn't my heart. Not _me_. Just as star you didn't know… »

The brunet scrunched his nose for a second, thinking about the implications of that question. Both boys knew that he who possessed the heart of a star would live eternally, which had unfortunately been the source of most of their problems since the beginning of their journey. Hiccup's gaze on the star softened, eyes carrying a glint of amusement.

« Do you really think I could kill anybody? » He asked, a crooked smile pulling at his lips. Jack burst into quiet laughter at that, and the brunet shushed him with a chuckle. « And even if I could… » He kept on, eyes drifting off the other's face as he thought about his answer. « Ever lasting life? I imagine it must be kind of lonely… » He paused. « Maybe if you had someone to share it with, someone you loved, maybe then it could be different… »

Hiccup stared thoughtfully into the distance for a second, missing how Jack's faint glow had subsided at his words. He blinked a couple of times, focusing back in the moment, and glanced around to make sure the coast was clear. Pushing himself up, the brunet helped Jack to his feet, and they both carried on their way to the village on the other side of the wall.

The next few hours of walk were filled with idle small-talk, and it seemed that the more they approached the market that would lead them back to Berk, the more awkward their conversations got, distance growing indiscernibly between them. Hiccup walked a few steps behind the star, frowning slightly as the white-haired male became unresponsive when they talked.

« You know… » He tried, changing the subject. « You sort of glitter sometimes, I just noticed that. Is it normal? »

« Let's see if you can figure that out for yourself… » Jack rolled his eyes with a smirk. « What do stars _do_? »

Hiccup pretended to think it over for a second. « Attract trouble? » He offered. Jack gasped in mock-offense, and nudged the brunet away from him. « Wait I'm sorry! Do I get another guess? » He asked, and when Jack simply looked at him in amusement, he said; « Do they… Know exactly how to annoy a boy called Hiccup Haddock? »

Jack laughed again, but before he could answer, they came across a boundary stone where was engraved; « _Berk—60 miles._ »

The two boys stopped and stared at the stone for a while, until Jack tentatively asked;

« How long will it take? »

« Maybe two days… » Hiccup said, lips pressed into a thin line.

« But… » The white-haired boy frowned. « But we don't have two days. Astrid's birthday is tomorrow. »

The brunet gazed silently at the road for a second. « Yes it is. » He smile at Jack sheepishly. « Well remembered. »

The other male hummed, brows furrowed, and walked off. Hiccup waited a moment more, staring at the stone on the ground. It was obvious now that they would never make it back in time. They were going to miss Astrid's birthday, and she would marry Eret and accept his ring from the other side of the archipelago, just as she'd said she would. Ripping his gaze away from the stone, Hiccup watched Jack trek up the dusty path that lead to the village, and felt his stomach knot.

He shook his head, deciding to focus on the task ahead. He couldn't let himself be distracted by pointless thoughts. Instead, he caught up with Jack and they followed the road that would lead them to the wall.

The two boys walked a while more until midday, when they came across a small stone bridge. They were both tired and hunger began to claw at their stomachs.. Hiccup stood on the bridge for a minute, considering wether or not they should stop for food, and risk wasting any more precious time.

Before he could come to a decision, a neighing resonated from behind a hill, and soon after a bright yellow caravan appeared on the road. Hiccup's blood ran cold, and in an instant he was dragging a very confused white-haired star down into the stream, hiding under the bridge. As the caravan crossed the bridge, Jack carefully caught a glimpse of the person driving the carriage, and he turned to the brunet excitedly.

« I've met that woman! » He said, gesturing at the old lady with the curly graying hair. « I think she's friends with the Captain, he said something about her trading at the market! »

« Are you sure? » Hiccup asked, unsure.

Jack nodded firmly, grabbing the other's wrist and dragging him up on the road. They stopped right in front of the caravan, gesturing widely for the woman to stop. The horse came to a halt, and Hiccup briefly stated his name and explained that they needed a lift to the wall.

« That's mine! » The woman screamed, cutting the brunet off and pointing at the dragon-shaped glass pin that Hiccup was wearing on his vest. « 20 years I've been looking for that brooch! » She jumped off the carriage, marching straight towards the brunet. Behind her, a green and orange bird chirped strenuously. « Give it to me _now! _»

« That was his mother's! » Jack protested, but he was completely ignored by the woman as Hiccup drew his sword, pulling the star behind him and confronting the angry woman, who took a step back and lifted her hands in surrender.

« Maybe I was mistaken… » She said, punctuating her words with an ugly snort.

« It's alright… » Hiccup hesitated, keeping his sword steady in his hand, distrusting the woman. « I'll give it to you in exchange for what I need. » He paused. « A snow globe. »

« And safe passage to the wall. » Jack added.

« A snow globe? » The woman repeated, and the star frowned at how the old hag didn't seem to acknowledge his presence in the slightest. « Oh no, I don't deal with this kind of powerful magic! »

« Really? » The brunet asked. It was obvious that she was hiding something, but Hiccup decided it was best not to push his luck. « Then can you get us to the market? »

« Ah! » The shrew showed all her rotten teeth in a wide smile. « Why didn't ya' say so in the first place, boy? » She asked. Jack made a small offended sound. « For that brooch, I can offer you passage, with

food and lodging on the way. »

« _Safe_ passage? » Hiccup pressed.

« I swear! » The woman lifted her hand in an oath-like gesture. « You will arrive at the wall in the exact same condition that you are now. » She circled the taller male with a finger.

Hiccup thought the proposition over for a minute, fingers clenching on the handle of his sword. Finally, he slipped the blade back in its stall, and Jack almost argued with his decision. Despite being the one to have suggested that they ask the woman for help, he didn't trust her one bit, and accepting her terms seemed like getting the short end of the deal.

The brunet hesitantly unclipped the pin from his vest, and handed it to the old woman, who snatched it out of his hand in an instant and fussed over the jewelry in deranged excitement.

« That's a very lucky charm you had there. » She explained, rubbing a bony finger on the edges of the glass pin. « Protection. » Her grin grew wicked. « In fact, that very brooch would've kept me from doing _this_. »

As soon as she had spoken, the woman took a step forwards and touched Hiccup's forehead with the tip of her finger. The brunet was swallowed in a thick cloud of black smoke and, when it dissipated, the only thing left was a small brown-furred rodent sniffing the air anxiously.

Jack snarled. « What did you _do_? »

He launched himself forwards, ready to tackle the woman and demand that she changed Hiccup back, but a strange force kept him from coming any closer to the old hag, making it impossible for him to touch her. He screamed angrily, fighting the best he could, in vain. The horrid lady picked up the mouse in her hands, oblivious of the star trying to attack her, and snickered contentedly. She said something about keeping her promise and doing the animal no harm, and took him to the back of her caravan. Jack followed closely behind, climbing inside the vehicle and baring teeth at the woman.

« Can't you _hear_ me? » He growled, getting no response in return, as it seemed that the woman really wasn't aware of his presence. She simply put the mouse in a cage and handed it a small amount of cheese. « Listen close, you flee-ridden wench. » He spat. « I swear, if you don't give me _my_ Hiccup back as he was, I will be your personal poltergeist until the end of times! »

Just like before, the old witch took no notice of the star, and simply climbed back out of the trailer. A few seconds later, there was a jolt, and the caravan took off once more. Jack stood dumbfounded, blood boiling in anger. He was completely powerless to the woman, and with no idea how to change Hiccup back on his own, he found himself with no other choice but to wait and see.

He turned towards the small wicker cage, where the mouse that used to be his friend stayed motionless, sniffing the air with no obvious sign of human consciousness. The star had no idea how much the curse had affected the brunet, or if he could comprehend a single thing he'd say.

« Hiccup? » He asked tentatively, leaning towards the cage. « If you can understand me, look at me now. »

Right on cue, the rodent turned its head. But instead of looking towards the silver-haired boy, it gazed somewhere behind him in the trailer, where a large piece of cheese hung from a string. The other sighed in defeat, turning to grab a piece of the food and gave it to the mouse through the bars.

Jack went to sit on a pile of boxes, eyes roaming around the messy caravan. A strong feeling of uneasiness and loneliness watched over him, afraid of what would happen to him if Hiccup wasn't changed back, of what would happen to _Hiccup_. He sucked in a shaky breath, fiddling with the hem of his cloak, and he thought back on everything that had happened since he had fallen on earth.

As much as he had been angry when the brunet had started dragging him through the forest, and despite the fact that he wasn't exactly looking forwards to being offered as a wedding present for the boy's '_one true love_', it had been obvious from the start that the mortal had no ill intentions towards the star, and in fact, Hiccup had been the only person to be completely on his side from the start. In only a handful of days, the two of them had gone through thick and thin, and little by little the star had come to realize something.

« You know when I said I didn't know anything about love? » Jack asked the mouse, who kept nibbling on the cheese and paid him no mind. « Well… That's not exactly true. » He glanced down at his fingers, gripping and releasing the fabric of his cloak rhythmically. « I've seen it, you know. I've seen centuries of it. It really was the only good thing about watching your world. » The star let out a humorless laugh. « You humans live amongst all those wars, all that pain, the lies, the hate… » Jack looked up, smiling softly. « But when I saw how mankind loves, I think I started understanding how you could bear all of those horrible things. It was amazing… You could search the furthest reaches of the universe and never find anything more beautiful. »

The white-haired boy trained his eyes back on the mouse in its cage. His throat clenched, stomach twisted in a knot as the words escaped his mouth without him controlling any of them. And really, he didn't want to. For the first time in his life he spoke from his heart, taking comfort in the fact that Hiccup didn't understand a word of what he was saying, and he would never have to face the bitter rejection of the taller male. So Jack kept speaking. He spoke of his home, of his time spent watching the mortal lives on earth unroll before his eyes, of the love he had seen.

And, more recently, the one he had felt.

« So yes, I know that love is unconditional. » Jack said, repeating the words he had told the brunet many nights before, while they were still on the pirate ship. « But I also know that it can be unpredictable, unexpected, _unbearable_ and… » He laughed softly. « And strangely easy to mistake for loathing. »

Jack stumbled on his words, voice shaking ever-so-slightly as he continued;

« And I—What I'm trying to say, Hiccup, is that… » He breathed in deeply. « I think I love you. »

Because he had never felt that way before, not for anyone, not ever. His heart felt heavy and out of place in his chest, like it could break through his ribs at any moment. Like it didn't belong there anymore. It belonged to Hiccup, to the brunet that had knocked him off his feet in that crater barely a week ago. To the boy the star had been so certain to hate he hadn't noticed that his presence alone could make his heart glow brighter than anything before.

And it was terrifying and exciting and _new_.

But the more their journey neared its end, the more painful it became for the star to listen to the stories about Astrid and Hiccup's _true love_. Because deep within him Jack knew that _real_ love wasn't selfish or demanding. It wasn't about proving yourself or buying someone's affection. And he knew that Astrid didn't love Hiccup, not like he wanted her to, not like Jack could.

« My heart… » The star said, head spinning slightly. « If you wanted it I'd ask for nothing in exchange. No gifts, no goods, no demonstrations of devotion. I—» He shook his head. « Nothing but knowing you loved me too. Just your heart… » He clenched a hand over his chest. « In exchange for mine. »

Jack took a deep breath, laughing shakily when the only answer he got was a stare from the pearly black eyes of the mouse. He knew that was all there was going to be; Just his heart longing for a boy that would waste his own on someone that didn't deserve him.

And no star up in their heavens, not in a million years, could ever understand the kind of pain that came with this knowledge.

The caravan arrived at the market later that night. They stopped near a shabby inn, darkness swallowing every surrounding alleys. The old witch came back into the trailer a moment later, earning a sharp glare from the white-haired boy standing in the corner. She picked up the mouse once more, taking it outside and carefully setting it back on the ground.

« The wall is one mile that way. » She said, pointing her crooked finger in one direction while crouching on the floor. « Though the walk might take you a little longer than normal, transformation tends to leave the mind a bit _scrambled_. »

And with that, she touched the rodent's head with the tip of her finger, and a dark fog rose from the ground, climbing in the air until it vanished and Hiccup was standing on his feet once more. Immediately, he drew his sword and took a step towards the woman. But his legs crumbled under his weight and he fell in a dizzy pile on the floor. Jack was by his side in an instant, while the witch walked away, sneering.

The star turned Hiccup on his back, shaking the boy back into consciousness, obvious relief washing over him now that his friend had gotten his human shape back. He had to admit—quite reluctantly, though—that the old lady had kept her promise; Hiccup had, in fact, arrived at the market in the same physical condition he had been earlier. The words '_be careful what you wish for_' resonated in the white-haired boy's mind.

After a good amount of rough shaking from the star, the brunet finally lifted heavy eyelids, muttering something about Astrid with a goofy smile plastered on his lips. Jack frowned, lips pressing in a tight line as he stood up, helping the boy up on his feet.

« Come on, on your feet. » Jack rolled his eyes, carrying Hiccup towards the inn. « Astrid's birthday isn't until tomorrow, you'll need a bath and a good night's sleep before you present me to her… »

After a surprisingly difficult trip up the stairs and into their room, Jack abandoned Hiccup's passed-out body on the bed, and drew himself a long, relaxing bath. The soft hue of the candles next to him gave off a peaceful atmosphere, and for a moment the star allowed himself to think. He thought about everything that had happened to him since he had falleb on earth, and most of all he thought about what morning would bring.

As soon as dawn would arrive, they would cross the wall and Hiccup would introduce him to Astrid. The two of them would get married, and—provided Hiccup kept his promise—Jack would finally be able to go back home. How, he wasn't quite certain yet. They had used their last snow globe to escape Pitch in the auberge, a few days back, but they still had the lightening bolt to trade it for. Maybe someone on the market had something to get the star back up in the sky.

He would be home again, with all the time in the world to watch Hiccup and Astrid live their _happily ever after_. And this whole story would finally be over.

Jack tried his best to ignore the painful pang in his heart, suddenly feeling bitter and forlorn as he slid a little deeper in the water, until his chin and lips were immersed under the surface. He closed his eyes, huffing through his nose, and tried to ignore all of those thoughts and simply relax.

He didn't notice Hiccup getting up from the bed, on the other side of the wooden folding screen, nor did he see him approaching and pulling the little window of the screen open to look through it. So when the brunet finally spoke, the star's heart almost leapt out of his throat.

« Excuse me, I think you're in my bath. »

Hiccup was grinning widely, clearly amused by the heart attack he had practically caused the other male. Jack had nearly thrown himself out of the bathtub, turning away from the brunet as best as he could in an attempt to hide his _very obviously_ naked body.

« What the—_Hiccup_! » Jack yelped. « What are you _doing_?»

The freckled boy only laughed, closing the tiny window and muttering a half-hearted apology as he assured that he wasn't looking anymore. The star took a few seconds to calm down, clinging at the edge of the tub with his heart pounding in his chest. When he finally got a hold on himself, Jack pushed himself out of the water, wrapping a soft towel around his waist.

He tip-toed out from behind the screen, suddenly feeling very self-conscious despite the fact that Hiccup still had his back turned at him.

« It's fine now, you can turn around. » He informed the other.

The brunet did as he was told, and Jack went to stand in front of a large mirror, examining his reflexion and slipping a hand into his snow white hair. His alabaster skin was still wet in some places—from his hurry to cover himself up—and tiny droplets of water on the boy's shoulders and neck shimmered in the dim light of the room.

Hiccup stared thoughtfully at the star, smile softening slightly as he took a deep breath and gathered the courage to ask;

« Did you really mean what you said, in the caravan? »

Jack turned to face him, brows furrowed in confusion for a while. When realization finally hit him, the star's eyes widened in shock, words tumbling down his lips in incoherent stutters.

« When I—But you—You were a _mouse_! » He exclaimed, trying to convince himself more than anything. « You wanted _cheese_, you didn't— » His hands flew to his hair again, pulling at his silver roots. « I _asked_ you to give me a sign! » His words were barely an accusation, almost like a plea for all of this to be merely a farce, a joke of some sort.

But when Hiccup laughed, it was soft and caring, and completely serious. The star moaned in frustration, desperately trying to hide his face in his arms, fingers still gripping at his hair.

« I couldn't risk you being too embarrassed to say all those things. » The brunet said softly, taking a few steps until he was standing right in front of Jack.

He gently pulled at the smaller male's arms, forcing him to uncover his face, and pressed their foreheads together with a warm chuckle. One of his hands went up to hold the star's jaw, rubbing soft circles on his cheek as the other one still held the boy's wrist.

« Do you want to know what the Captain really whispered to me? » Hiccup asked, hands sliding on pale skin to gently hold the star's shoulders. Jack gave a tentative nod, feeling heat spreading on his cheeks. Hiccup smiled, eyes glistening in adoration.

« He told me that my true love was right in front of my eyes. » He gazed deep in Jack's azure blue eyes, lowering his head so that the next words he whispered tickled the star's lips.

« And he was right. »

Jack's heart skipped a beat, and he choked a breathy laugh as he broke into the largest, _brightest_ smile Hiccup had ever seen. When the brunet slipped a hand behind his neck, pulling him closer, the star was shining with the most intense silver glow, radiating happiness.

Hiccup smiled, and finally pressed their lips together in a loving kiss. Warmth washed over and for a moment Jack lost himself in the sensation of Hiccup's lips against his own, eyes closing slowly. It was maddeningly soft, just butterfly-like brushes of lips that conveyed every feeling, every moment of longing and every stolen glances when the other wasn't watching. It was _want_, it was _need_, and most of all it was _love_.

Jack lifted his chin, giving into Hiccup's touch and pressing into the embrace with more conviction, lips moving in time with the brunet's. His hands reached to hold the boy's neck, and Hiccup's went to grip at the star's hips, pulling him closer.

Shivers ran down Jack's spine, excitement shooting through his body. Every single one of his nerves tingled under the fingertips roaming on his bare skin. The star's hands clung to the fabric of the other's shirt, tugging at the brunet locks, pulling him down in an eager attempt to reduce the infinitesimally small distance between the two of them.

When they parted for breath, a moment later, the two boys couldn't hold back the breathy laughter that bubbled in their throats. Hiccup watched as the star's eyes fluttered open, a shy smile on his lips. He brushed their nose together briefly, before pressing a soft, chaste peck on Jack's lips. Then another. And another. And another until it became a steady rhythm of butterfly kisses that made the star's head spin and his heart feel like it was about to burst in pure, unaltered joy.

Jack's mind was reeling, drunk on the sensation of Hiccup's warmth and the soft pressure of chapped lips on his. And the brunet relished in the euphoria that the star's touch brought him, a feeling he knew he couldn't have gotten from anyone else. Only Jack. Only his star.

Their lips touched again, capturing each other in a feverish kiss, bursting of love and expressing all the feelings no stringing of words could ever articulate.

The world faded, and there was nothing in existence but Jack and Hiccup.

Just a star, and the boy he had given his heart to.


	8. Ice Cream Vigilante

Heya guys, I'm back after what felt like ages, with a silly little short story inspired by a tumblr prompt I saw a while back. Enjoy!

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**ONESHOT 08: Ice Cream Vigilante**

**Rating****: T**

**Genre****: Romance + Humor**

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Hiccups was going to throw up.

His stomach was twisted in a knot, and as he felt his insides twisting and churning he knew that at any second now he was going to projectile vomit onto the perfectly tailored suit of the man who was currently busy screaming bloody murder right in his face.

All things considered, it had been a shitty day from the start.

He had been woken up at dawn by a distressed call from Astrid begging him to fill in for her at the ice cream parlour where she worked during the summer. After she had—gently and without so much as a threat, mind you—reminded him of the many many times she had saved her best friend's skinny ass from one thing or another, the boy had found himself standing behind a counter stuffed inside a mud-brown work uniform that itched all over, with a ridiculously colourful apron and ugly hairnet shoved in his hands.

Many spilled ice creams and whaling children later, a man in a dark suit and expensive-looking watch had walked in demanding to be served an espresso of grinded arabica beans with no milk and no sugar. After a very unsuccessful attempt to explain that, being an ice cream parlour, the shop sold exclusively ice creams, Hiccup was suffering the wrath of this visibly unsatisfied customer. His perfectly composed face was now bright red and twisted in anger, and his neatly folded tie was even hanging loose and crooked. The man gestured widely, nearly knocking over the decorative ice cream cones on the counter, as he let out a long string of insults all generally revolving around the unfortunate cashier's incompetence.

Hiccup, on the other hand, was completely frozen. If his face was pale with dread, his ears were burning a crimson shade from the embarrassment of being yelled at in front of the dozen other customers waiting in line. His palms were sweaty and although he did try to apologise countless times, the best he could articulate was a stuttered mess. He had no idea how to calm down the man, or at least get him to go scream outside.

When Hiccup reached a hand to catch—for the fourth time—the plastic beaver mascot that had been knocked off the register, the man gripped his hand and forcefully pulled it over the counter, knocking the wind out of the boy as his chest hit the register. The brunet's breath caught in his throat in fright as the man shoved him back and forth in his fit. Hiccup tried pulling his hand back, voice squeaking as he pleaded to be let go off, but to no avail.

Suddenly, a third hand appeared out of nowhere, seizing the customer's hand and peeling it right off Hiccup's wrist. The man in the suit cried out in pain as his arm was twisted back, far out of reach from the counter.

« Hey buddy. » Someone said, and Hiccup finally tore his eyes away from his aggressor to look at his saviour. He was a boy around the brunet's age, although a bit taller than he was. His hair was bleached bright white, matching his pale skin. The boy's arctic blue eyes were narrowed in anger as he glared at the other customer. « I don't know what your problem is, but I doubt that manhandling the cashier will solve anything. You're taking up everyone's time, so we'd all be grateful if you got your precious coffee from the Starbucks across the street, and shoved it up your ass. »

The white-haired boy let go of the other man, whose outraged cries only doubled—although this time he had taken a step back.

It took twenty more minutes until the parlour's manager called security and the man was escorted out of the shop, yelling about a lawsuit. By then, most of the customers had left, and Hiccup was granted a short break to cool down from his fright.

He was still sitting in an isolated booth, in the corner of the shop, when someone flopped on the seat opposite of him. Hiccup lifted his head and saw the same white-haired boy from earlier, grinning widely at him with two ice cream scoops in his hands.

« Hey. » He said. « The shop offered me this to apologise for the fuss. » He nodded towards one of the scoops. « I thought I'd get you one, you look like you could use a little pick-me-up. I hope vanilla's alright with you, I didn't know what you liked. »

The boy slid the ice cream across the table, before holding out his empty hand.

« I'm Jack, by the way. »

Hiccup shook his hand, although a little hesitantly. « Hiccup. » He said quietly, eyes looking down towards the scoop in front of him.

« Your name-tag says 'Astrid'. » Jack pointed out, an amused smile on his lips.

« I—err, I'm filling in for a friend. »

They fell silent again, and although Hiccup was mentally wallowing in his inability to hold a proper conversation, Jack didn't seem bothered in the least. He simply savoured his victory ice cream, enjoying the calmness of the shop.

It wasn't until his untouched ice cream was half melted that Hiccup finally dared to speak.

« Thanks for earlier. » He said.

Jack looked up, visibly beaming now that the other boy seemed comfortable enough to talk.

« It's no problem, that guy was a stubborn asshole. » He said, and lips twisted in a pout. « I regret not having landed him a punch or two before he left. »

Hiccup chuckled, picking up the plastic spoon and stuffing some ice cream in his mouth.

« I'm serious! » Jack exclaimed, but his laughter told otherwise. « How much of a dick do you have to be to attack someone when they've obviously done nothing wrong? » His smile turned into a flirtatious smirk, and he added. « And even if it had been your fault, who could get mad at such a cute cashier? »

Hiccup choked on his spoonful of desert, and when he lifted his head, Jack was hiding his heavy blush behind his hands.

« I'm so sorry I didn't mean to say that! » He sputtered. His face shot up in horror. « Not that I don't think you're cute—I do! But that's not why I helped you before or anything, I swear! I just— » His face dropped on the table, and Hiccup heard him mumble a few apologetic words.

Jack took a few deep breaths, and lifted his head to look at Hiccup again, looking hopeful.

« What I meant to say was; If you don't have any other plans, do you want to grab a drink someday? »

The brunet watched him in amusement. Seeing him now, blushing and stuttering, Jack seemed like a completely different person from the one that had saved him earlier. And, truth be told, Hiccup found it endearing. Biting his lower lip, the shorter boy stood up, leaving the booth without a word.

He'd be lying if he said he didn't find Jack's dejected look adorable.

The white-haired boy stared at his hands on the table, disappointment obvious on his face. Just as he was about to stand up and leave, a paper towel was pushed in front of him by a freckled hand. Jack looked up in confusion, finding Hiccup smiling at him softly with a faint blush on his cheeks. With another glance, Jack realised that on the towel were scribbled the digits of a phone number.

« I get off in twenty minutes. » Hiccup said, looking away. « Wait for me in the rest room? »

Jack beamed.

Hiccup went back behind the counter, face burning in embarrassment now that Jack was out of sight. He tried to focus back on the register, mindlessly pressing buttons at random.

Maybe he'd have Astrid to thank for today, after all.


	9. Unkept Promises

Hey hey hey! It's almost October, I am super pumped for pumpkin season, but it also means that my classes started again and the stress is already getting to me. So here's some angsty short to help me cope. **Warning for drinking/drunkness and character death.**

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**ONESHOT 09: Unkept Promises**

**Rating****: T**

**Genre****: Angst + Hurt**

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Hiccups was going to throw church bell rung twice, a couple of streets further down the road. Almost immediately, there was a deafening rumble, the metallic banging of the 2 A.M. train passing right over the shabby bars in the lowest parts of the city. No one cared, knowing it was the last of the night. In truth, most of the boozers perched on their wobbly stools were too drunk to notice anything, anyway.

Hiccup was slouched in an isolated booth in the corner of the room, far away from the windows. Sitting in one of the worn-down purple seats, he scrapped the edge of his empty drink mindlessly. He didn't care much about the time, and he cared even less about his own state. His vision was blurry from the alcohol, and his mind was numb. How many drinks had he had? Five? Maybe more? He had stopped counting after a while.

This wasn't the kind of place he'd usually find himself in at this hour. He should be safe at home, sleeping on the couch with Toothless curled up against him. Were this any other day, he wouldn't even glance twice at the drunks in their shitty bar, with their nose reddened by cheap booze, and their putrid breaths that smelled of whisky and bad life choices. They used to make him sick.

Now, though, he was almost always feeling sick.

Truth be told, with his distraught gaze and fidgety hands, he didn't stand out in the bar as much as he would've a couple weeks ago. But he didn't care, not one bit. The fuzzy warmth of inebriety was almost comforting, but he was still so numb and cold.

He had been numb and cold for days, now.

Lifting a hand, Hiccup vaguely gestured for the bar-tender to refill his drink. The large man complied, filling the glass in obvious boredom, not paying attention to the brunet more than was necessary.

Somewhere behind, Hiccup heard the chiming of the front door bell, but he knew better than to turn around. People came and went, here. They never stayed, never talked, so it really didn't matter who was at the door.

Nothing mattered.

Suddenly, there was a light pressure on the brunet's shoulder. He didn't turn around. He didn't need to. He knew that familiar touch all to well, and it was this touch that had brought him here.

« Go away. » Hiccup said, his voice too slurred to be convincing.

« You're here again. » Jack said. His voice was calm, but his eyes showed worry.

« Yeah. » The brunet scoffed. Of course he was here, he had been coming here every night for the past few days. His face grew stern. « And _you_ shouldn't be. » He added bitterly.

« Hiccup, you can't keep coming here… »

Hiccup laughed, louder this time. A few men in the bar turned around, but he didn't care. They could all go to hell.

« Who's gonna stop me? » He asked, swinging his glass and taking a gulp. « You? »

Jack frowned. He hated seeing the brunet in that state, and it had only gotten worse in the last week.

« Everyone is worried… » The white-haired boy said, reaching to grab the other's hand, but Hiccup pulled away before he could touch him. He tone was firmer. « You have to get your act together. You're being selfish. »

«_ I'm_ being selfish? » Hiccup repeated, his voice laced with anger and alcohol. « What about _you_? None of this would've happened if it weren't for _you_. »

His throat was tight, but he didn't want to cry. He had done that too much, crying. It never helped, only made his head throb. Drinking did too, but at least when he was drunk he could forget, if only for a while.

« I messed up, didn't I? » Jack asked, full of sorrow.

« You _think_? » Hiccup accused.

He ignored it when the other winced at his words. He wasn't being fair, he knew it. But he didn't give a rat's ass about fairness. Nothing was fair, life certainly wasn't.

But Jack didn't say a word. He never did, not when Hiccup was in that state. He simply pressed a hand gently on the brunet's shoulder, taking away his drink with the other.

« That's enough for tonight, Hic. Let's get you home. » He said, with that sickeningly sweet voice. It was the same voice he used to talk to the kids at his job at the day-care. That firm but caring tone, with carefully chosen words not to rill him up. Hiccup hated that voice.

The brunet grumbled but stood up nonetheless, shrugging off Jack's hand as he tentatively pulled himself out of the booth. By the time he was steady on his feet and able to stand without the world spinning out of focus, Jack was waiting for him by the door. The freckled boy pulled out a few bills from his wallet, and set them on the table.

Hiccup stumbled through the bar on his own, barely glancing up from his feet until he reached the door. He flung it open, and the freezing wind hit him like a wall. The boy repressed a shiver, but the cold came as a soothing relief for the alcohol-induced burn of his cheeks. With a sigh, Hiccup stepped into the dead of night, Jack still on his heels.

Outside, the streets were empty, aside from the few slobs wandering through the flickering streetlights with no destination. Hiccup scoffed bitterly when the thought crossed his mind that at that moment he was one of those slobs with the vacant eyes and the booze on their breaths. Breaths that froze mid-air from the cold when he exhaled, visible like little clouds of vapored liquor.

The brunet walked in silence, the only sounds at this time being that of his feet being dragged on the pavement. He didn't need to turn around to know that Jack was still following. Lighter on his feet, the white-haired boy glided behind the brunet like a ghost, without so much as a rustling of clothes.

Everything around them was shrouded in fog, bathing the streets in an eery glow of white despite it being the middle of the night. It would be a few more hours before the first glimmers of sunlight made their way through the buildings to chase away the shadows. Until then, the darkness would reign over a brumous city. Hiccup found comfort in the mist, finding that it echoed his own smogged mind. He closed his eyes and tried to block out everything around him, from the hum of the passing cars to the ever-so-watchful presence of Jack behind him, until there was nothing but the haze of his own thoughts.

He didn't know how long it took to get home, but soon he found himself in front of the familiar front door of his appartement. He didn't get in, lost in the thought that the rooms on the other side held nothing for him to call home. He didn't need any of that, and he just wished he could stay away forever. He just had to turn around and leave.

Jack reached his side before he could move a muscle, and slender fingers brushed his hand in what was supposed to be a comforting gesture. But Hiccup didn't move.

« You'll catch a cold. » The other boy whispered, reaching for the key in Hiccup's hand and unlocking the door. « Just go inside. » The brunet blinked.

Inside, the rooms held no warmth, no comfort. They were just as dark and cold as the empty streets. He hadn't been home in a while, maybe two or three days. Instead, he had spent the nights slumped in different bars, and when the morning came he wondered through the busy streets. Crowds were the perfect place for people like him. They were lonely places, where no one ever paid mind to others. Crowds were good, they kept him from thinking.

He didn't sleep. He couldn't. Closing his eyes was a torture. Every blink filled his mind with images he had hoped to forget. But they well imprinted in his brain, drilling through his eyelids. So he kept himself awake, tip-toeing on the borders of consciousness, trying to keep his mind numb. And when he did fall asleep, he made sure he was knocked-out enough so the nightmares wouldn't get to him.

They always did, eventually.

Vacant eyes roamed over the empty living room, barely noticing how the place had been cleaned and the empty bottles thrown away. Astrid had probably been over to tidy everything up. She was just trying to help, Hiccup knew that, but he just wished she'd leave him alone. He wished everyone would leave him be.

The brunet dragged his feet to his room, and his muscles gave in the second he reached his bed. He knocked his phone off the mattress, where he had left it the last time he had been home. The device hit the floor with a soft '_thud_', and the screen lit up with the notifications of missed calls and unread text messages. Hiccup ignored them, like he had done countless times before. He'd just delete them in the morning.

He turned his head, and Jack was standing in the doorframe, eyebrows knitted together in worry, hands gripping at the handle like he was physically restraining himself to enter the room.

Hiccup rolled over, turning his back to the white-haired boy.

« Leave me alone, Jack. »

« Hic… » Jack sighed. He took a tentative step forwards. « I know how you feel, I— »

« You don't know _anything_! » The brunet yelled, pushing himself up in a sitting position.

Blood-shot eyes glared daggers at the other male, and Jack took a shaky step back. He had never seen that look in his boyfriend's eyes. Anger, yes. Even directed towards him sometimes, when he took his pranks a step too far. Hurt, as well, when their screaming matches got out of hand and one of them said something they immediately wished to take back. But never this.

Because Jack had been a shitty boyfriend at times, but he had never thought he would be the reason for so much unfiltered pain and loathing in those emerald eyes he loved so much.

« Hiccup… »

« I don't want to hear it, Jack. » The brunet said. His shoulders slumped and he suddenly looked defeated. « You've done enough, just let me be. »

The white-haired boy felt his throat clutch, stomach dropping at the sight of the other boy curling himself into a ball on the bed, body shaking with now-returning tears. The boy he had loved more than anything else in the world, with whom he had expected to spend the rest of his life.

The boy that had just then given up on him.

« I'm sorry I made a mess of everything. »

Hiccup didn't turn around. He didn't hear a sound, but knew the very second Jack was gone. The silence in the room became deafening, only broken by the pulsating throbs of the brunet's head. He sat on the edge of the bed, eyes focused on the phone still abandoned on the bedroom floor. Picking up the device, he unlocked it with a slide of his thumb, bright screen glaring holes into his eyes. Hesitant finger hovered over the last missed call.

A soft pitter-patter caught his attention, and a black-furred cat stepped into the room, mewling softly as he jumped on the bed and into his owner's lap. Hiccup lifted a hand to pet Toothless' head, earning a comforting purr in return. Closing his eyes tightly, he pressed a button on his phone, and set it on the nightstand as the dialing tone filled the room.

Hiccup curled into his bed again, Toothless pressed against his chest, as the robotic voice of his answering machine enumerated the countless missed calls from the passed few days. When it stopped, a familiar voice took over, its cheerful tone a sharp contrast with the dark numbness that was consuming the brunet.

«_ Hey Hic it's Jack! I just got off work and I have big plans for tonight. Aster lent me a movie, it sounds awful and we're totally gonna make out through most of it, it's gonna be awesome. The roads are still under snow so I'll be a little late, but I promise I'll me home soon. Love you!_ »

Hiccup buried his face into the warmth of Toothless' fur, throat clutching as he let out a strangled sob.

« How am I supposed to believe that when you couldn't even keep your promise. »

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**AN: I'm not sure if it's even clear what happened in this, but I still hope you enjoyed it!**


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